Effect of water quality on growth performance of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) fed different feeds and reared in hapas-in-ponds
Management of water quality in intensive productions systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65869/sar.v5.i1.133Keywords:
Bacteriology, Fish feed, Freshwater fish, Production system, PhysicochemistryAbstract
The present study was carried out to assess the effect of water quality on growth performance of hapas-raised-Clarias gariepinus fed with commercial and farm-made feeds. Nine hundred juveniles (10.63 ± 4.93 g; 12.55 ± 1.03 cm) were stocked in 09 Hapas at a density of 100 fish/hapa and fed with imported extruded, locally pelleted and locally extruded feeds thrice a day for 16 weeks. Water quality parameters (physicochemical and bacteriological) were measured using standard method. Regardless of dietary treatments and rearing period, studied water parameters did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) except for except for Faecal Streptococcus. Overall, these parameters remained within acceptable, desirable, permissible or recommended ranges for freshwater fish culture, except for dissolved oxygen, nitrates, ammonia and studied bacteria counts which exceeded recommended levels. Regression results revealed that all water quality parameters examined exerted varying effects on fish growth and survival, with water temperature, suspended solids, turbidity, colour, electrical conductivity, pH, nitrites, ammonia and Faecal Coliforms showing significant effects (p < 0.05). The flow-through nature of the pond system, which ensured frequent water renewal, likely minimized the negative impacts of abnormal dissolved oxygen and ammonia levels by reducing the duration of fish exposure. This implies that if best management practices are respected, the studied feeds will not deteriorate water quality in holding ponds and thus affect fish productivity.
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