Growth performance: A comparative analysis of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus fingerlings reared in a cage, concrete pond and earthen pond systems

Onwuka 1 Christopher Nnamdi 1 and Davies Ibienebo Chris 2, *

1 Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, Imo State, Nigeria.
2 Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2022, 06(02), 115–122.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2022.6.2.0163
Publication history: 
Received on 30 June 2022; revised on 07 August 2022; accepted on 09 August 2022
 
Abstract: 
A comparative study between fingerlings reared in a cage, concrete pond, and earthen pond systems was conducted between March and August 2019. The fish net cage was constructed with ½ netting materials (210 D/9), nylon twine (210 D/9 and 210 D/8), and ropes (10mm PE and 4mm PE, as a house in which the fish fingerlings were stocked. The stocked fish were held captive in the fishnet while water flows through it. This is Treatment 1 (T1). A concrete pond of 10 m x 10 m x 15 m was constructed, as Treatment II (T11). Simultaneously an earthen pond measuring 10m x 10mx 15m was constructed entirely from soil materials both manually and mechanically in a site with excess water retention potential near Otamiri River beside the Fisheries Department of the University of Agriculture. This is Treatment III (T111). Each of the treatments was stocked with 1,500 Clarias gariepinus fingerlings of 10gms average weight and managed simultaneously for the 6 months. Data were analysed by simple descriptive statistics. The result showed 83.3%, 93.3%, and 96.7% survival rates in a cage, concrete pond, and earthen pond systems. Average weight at harvest (gm) and total weight at harvest (gm) of 332.6 gm and 415.7 gm for cage fish farming, 250.6gm and 350.8gm for concrete pond systems, and 250.6 gm and 280.65 gm for earthen pond system. The survival rate in cage culture (83.3%) was low due to high water depth, as the cage was floated; hence fingerlings could not maximize feed intake at the initial stage. The 96.7% suggest that the earthen point system has the highest production rate.  Adequate care should be taken to ensure maximal utilization of feed given to the fish in cage floater in water.
 
Keywords: 
Fingerlings; Growth Performance; Survival rate; Clarias gariepinus
 
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