GROWTH AND PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus) POLYCULTURE WITH CARPS IN HOMESTEAD POND

Sarker MR, Ali MM, Monir MS, Paul M, Barman AC (2014) Growth and production performance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) polyculture with carps in homestead pond. Marine Res. Aqua. 2(1), 1-6. An experiment was conducted in six homestead ponds (20 decimal) to assess growth and production of fishes with different species compositions in polyculture using tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), catla (Catla catla), rohu (Labeo rohita), mrigal (Cirrhinus cirrhosus) and mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio var. specularis) for the period of 121 days from March 16 to June 16, 2012 at Gouripur upazila under Mymensingh district. There were three treatments each with two replicates viz. stocking densities: tilapia 250, silver carp 5, catla 3, ruhu 3, mrigal 3 and mirror carp 3 fish per decimal inT1 (267 fish/dec); tilapia 330, silver carps 3, catla 3, rohu 2, mrigal 5 and mirror carps 2 fish per decimal in T2 (365 fish/dec); and tilapia 130, silver carps 2, catla 2, rohu 3, mrigal 2 and mirror carp 3 fish per decimal in T3 (142 fish/dec);. The physico-chemical parameters of water temperature (31.61-32 o C), transparency (30.69-34.11 cm), dissolved oxygen (5.33-7.56 mg/l) and pH (7.48-7.76) during the study period was found within optimum range. The mean final weight attained of tilapia under T1, T2 and T3 were 199.9, 88.1 and 185 g, respectively. The mean final weight gain (g) of tilapia, silver carp, catla, ruhu, mrigal and mirror carp were 154.8, 258.8, 119.7, 119.7, 124.7 and 193.8 g in T3 that was the highest among the treatments. However, it was found that the highest total production was in T3 (1151 kg/20dec/121days) and the lowest in T2 (588.7 kg/20dec/121days). However, the lowest species wise production of tilapia 425, silver carp 40.5, catla 16.0, rohu 36.0, mrigal 34.5, mirror carp 36.7 kg/20dec/121 days was in T2 and the highest in T3 that was tilapia 960, silver carp 68, catla 28, rohu 31, mrigal 28 and mirror carp 36 kg/20 dec/121days.