Tilapia culture

Introduction : Most important cultured fish after carps. High growth rate. Inhabit in fresh water (shallow streams, ponds, rivers, lakes), brackish water (estuaries). Called Aquatic chicken. 80 species has been described, out of which 10 sp. are reported to be used for culture. High resistance to diseases. Three genera are well-known namely Oreochromis, Tilapia and Sarotherodon. Genera classification based on the differences on their reproduction & feeding habits. Genus Tilapia (Substrate Spawners). Genus Oreochromis (Maternal). Genus Sarotherodon (Paternal/biparental). Biology: General Mouth brooders. Batch spawner ; shows Parental care. Males are larger than females. Incubation period of eggs 4-10 days (depending on temperature). Euryhaline ; tolerate salinity up to 40 ppt. Cant tolerate temp. Below 10o C. Food Habits : feed on detritus , zooplankton, phytoplankton

Popular Cultured Tilapias : Oreochromis niloticus (nile tilapia) Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique tilapia) Oreochromis aureus (Blue tilapia) Red tilapia

Pond Preparation: Drain the pond totally. Apply pesticides or poison (rotenone, tea seed cake) in pond. This is to totally kill unwanted species. Spray poison or pesticide with water that is 0.5 to 1 foot deep. Don't spray on the soil without water because the poison might stick to the soil. Wash the pond by letting water flow in and out. This will wash away the poison and pesticides.

Level the bottom of the pond. Level the pond to remove excess mud and dirt. Sun-dry the bottom for 1-2 weeks and allow it to crack. Apply lime if the pond becomes acidic. The recommended rate is 100g/sq m. Put screen in the water inlets and outlets to avoid unwanted species to enter the pond. Fill-in water to the pond up to 1-2 meters after all in and outlets have been screened. Add fertilizer (16-20-0) 150 kg/ha. POND SIZE : no ideal pond size for growing tilapia. POND DEPTH : ideal depth of pond is between 1 to 2 meters.

Broodstock raising : Stocking density : Open Pond method: 1-6 breeder/sq meter at 3:1 to 5:1 female to male ratio. Hapa Method : 4-5 breeders/sq m and sex ratio at 3:1 to 7:1. Tank method : 7-14 breeders/sq m from 3:1 to 7:1. Water column 1-2 m deep. Formulated diet at 3-5% of their total body weight. Feeding of fishes : Many kinds of materials may be used as supplementary feeds for fish such as: Terrestrial plants: grasses, legumes, leaves and seeds of leguminous shrubs and trees, fruits, vegetables. Aquatic animals: worms, trash fish, earthworms Rice: broken, polishing, bran. Wheat: broken, bran. Maize: gluten feed, gluten meal. Oil/cakes after extraction of oil from seeds of mustard, coconut, groundnut, African palm, cotton, sunflower and soybean. Kitchen wastes; Slaughter house wastes Silkworm pupae. Manure: chicken, pig manure. Nursery rearing Nursing is best carried out in hapas or in small earthen ponds. Hapas are very useful for nursery, as the young fry can be protected from predation by birds, mammals, snakes, and carnivorous fish very easily. Nursery is carried out in a hapa or in a small pond; green water should be first created using chemical fertilizer. Animal manure is not recommended for nursery ponds as it leads to poor water quality and could affect survival. Stocking density : 500 one inch fish/m2 1st month , 250 fish/m2 for the 2nd month Earthen ponds can be stocked with anything from 60-150 fish/m2 for a 2 month nursery period, but aeration and some water exchange will be necessary at high densities. Feeding should be carried out 2-4 times per day with floating commercial pellet (smallest pellet size) or a powdered feed. Rice bran & fish meal with a crude protein level of at least 30%. Hapas - nursed fish will be 2-10g. Pond - nursed fish will have achieved a size of 10-50g in this time.

Grow out culture Tilapia are raised in: Small earthen ponds , Large earthen ponds ,Floating cages (100 to 300/m3 ), Circular tanks with partial water exchange and mechanical aeration (50 to 100/m3 ), Raceways with constant water exchange stocked 300 to 500/m3 ; Water exchange 1 to 5 times/hour; Aeration continuous , Indoors with water re-use, mechanical aeration and oxygen injection Fertilization with organic and inorganic fertilizers to increase yield:

Tilapia can be fed: Agricultural by product- rice bran, cottonseed meal, wheat bran. Artificial feedfloating & sinking feed. Tilapia can be cultured as: Mixed sexes - males and females together (2,000 to 6,000/acre Fingerlings can be grown to 100 to 150 g in 4 to 6 months.) Mono-sex - only males (4,000 to 20,000/ acre 50 g fingerlings -500 g fish 6 months, growth rate of 2.5 grams/day. ) Grow-out: Stocking a predacious fish with mixed-sex tilapia will control tilapia density and increase final harvest weight. Mono-sex male tilapia populations can be produced by: Visual selection Hybridization Sex-reversal Genetic manipulation Hybridization: Two species of tilapia can be crossed to yield all-male offspring. The male Hornorum tilapia can be hybridized with the female Nile tilapia and offspring are all-male. However, the hybrid is fertile and can backcross with female Nile and Hornorum tilapia. Only genetically pure Hornorum and Nile tilapia will result in 100% male offspring. Maintaining pure lines of Nile and Hornorum tilapia over a long period of time is difficult. Additionally, hybrid fry yield per female is low compared with fry yield from pure species spawns. Sex Reversal of Tilapia Fry Recently hatched tilapia fry obtained by harvest from spawning containers 18 days after brood fish are stocked. Fed with a powdered diet containing a male steroid for 20 to 28 days. Fry that would have been females if fed a steroid-free diet, will be functional males at the end of the hormone treatment. 95 to 98 % males are commonly produced.

Genetic Manipulation 1) XXF + XYM Estrogen XXF + XYF 2) XYF x XYM XXF + 2 XYM + YYM 3) XXF x YYM 100% XYM Polyculture: Integration of tilapia with carps, gouramis, catfish and other fish species . Stocking a variety of different fish, any food not eaten by the tilapia will be eaten by another species and will not be wasted.

Polyculture of tilapia with shrimps & prawn Not carnivorous so raised in polyculture with larvae of penaeid shrimp or giant fresh water prawns (Machrobrachium rosenbergii). Two main forms of shrimp/prawn Polyculture system: High density shrimp culture (30-70/m2) with monosex tilapia stocked at low density (1-2 /m2). Shrimp stocked as post larvae & tilapia stocked 1 month later to avoid predation of the shrimp. Low density shrimp or prawn culture (4-6 /m2) with monosex tilapia stocked at high density (1-2 fish/m2). Tilapia fed on floating pellets and the prawns/shrimp feed on natural food at the pond bottom. Prawns (0.2g or more) and tilapia (10-50g) should be stocked.

Tilapia can be cultured: Based on farming system:Extensive pond culture Semi-intensive pond culture Intensive pond/tank culture Super intensive Semi-intensive pond culture Breeding 0.10.2 ha earthen ponds. Nursery Ponds (0.10.5 ha) (from 0.110g). Growing ponds (0.10.75 ha) (from 1040g). Final on-growing ponds (40300g). Stocking density: Broodstock:12/m2 Sex reversal: 2 000 /m3. Nursery: 120150/m2.

Initial stage on growing: 2025/m2. Final stage: 510/m2

Intensive pond/tank culture : Breeding in 0.10.2 ha earthen ponds. Sex-reversal tanks (0.025 ha). Nursery ponds (0.10.5 ha) (from 0.110g). Initial on-growing ponds (0.10.75 ha) (from 1040 g). Intermediate ponds or raceways (0.1-0.15ha) (40150 g). Final stage ponds or raceways (0.1 ha). 100400%/day water exchange. Stocking density: Bloodstocks: 12/m2 Sex reversal: 2 0002 500/m3. Nursery: 120300/m2. Initial stage on growing: 8060/m2. Intermediate stage: 40/m2, Final stage: 25/m2.

Integrated systems: Chicken/fish farming: Maximum tilapia yields -- 2,000 to 2,200 chickens/acre. Deliver 90 to 100 pounds (dry weight) of manure/ acre/day.

Pig/fish farming: 24 to 28 pigs/acre required. Deliver 90 to 100 pounds (dry weight) of manure/ acre/day.

Duck/fish farming: Ducks -300 to 600/acre. Raising of ducks in ponds. Feed wasted by the ducks is consumed directly by the fish.

Pond Management : Maintain richness of the pond by applying chicken manure weekly at 500 kg/week. This will help produce natural food like planktons, and Lumet for the fishes. Give food supplements to the fishes for a faster growth. Maintain a good water quality ; Feeding and applying fertilizer may later affect the water quality ; Pull out weeds from the pond. Weeds hamper production and harvesting. Maintain water level at 1-2 meters. Optimum temperature for tilapia growth is between 25oC-38oC. Water current help in making dissolved oxygen available.

Harvesting Harvesting is usually done after 3-4 months. Harvesting is done in 2 ways: Selective harvesting: do not drain pond; use nets (1 inch) to harvest the fish. Total harvesting: drain your pond totally, and harvest all the fishes using a catch basin. You can pick up by hand, fishes that are left in some parts of the pond. Advantages of Farming Tilapia Feeds low on the food chain. Accepts wide range of feeds. Resistant to poor water quality, disease and handling. Good flesh quality. Fingerlings easy to produce year round. High growth rate. Disadvantages of raising tilapia Sensitive to low water temperatures. Reach sexual maturity at a young age. Males grow faster than females. Difficult to harvest from earthen ponds with a seine. Low dress out percentage of fillet.(33-35% of body weight) Yield: Culture duration 6 months. Harvested size : 300 400 gram. Pond culture yield : 20-30 tons/ha. Cage culture yield : 40-45 tons/m3 Production : country wise Comparison of tilapia production from aquaculture and capture fisheries. Global aquaculture production of tilapia Conclusions: Good fish for warm water aquaculture. They are easily spawned, use a wide variety of natural foods as well as artificial feeds. Tolerate poor water quality. Most widely cultured freshwater fish in tropical and subtropical countries. Consumers like tilapia flesh and mild flavour.

Gourami culture
Introduction : Genus Trichogaster contains many of the more popular gouramis traded in the industry, including the Pearl gourami, Moonlight, Snake skin, Three spot, Blue, Silver, Gold, Opaline and hybrids in the same genus. 16 genera and 50 species of Trichogaster. Trichogaster Trichopterus, the Three Spot Gourami. Sexual dimorphism : Dorsal fin longer than the females reaches upto caudal peduncle. Mature female will be much rounder in the stomach region and may be smaller than the male. Male much brighter in colour & of wide range. Female dull in colour. Reproductive Biology: Trichogaster Trichopterus will reach a maximum length of 15-20 cm(6-8 inches). Reach sexual maturity at 7cm, (2.8 inches) and 12-14 weeks of age. Foam nest builders create a nest at the surface of the water or under water. Fecundity : Trichogaster Trichopterus range from 300 - 400, up to 1000 eggs. Temperature & light : Eggs are laid in a temperature range of 23-29oC (73-84oF). Spawning will take place at a temperature of 20oC (68oF) and temperatures of 18oC (64oF) or less can be lethal. Dim light conditions the females generally laid their eggs. Reduction of light by dense plant population had a positive effect on nest building. Commercial Production : Step 1. Sex differentiation: Identification of Male and Female gourami. Step 2. Male and female brood stock are then placed in separate tanks for conditioning -1fish/10 lit. 10% water exchange per day. High quality feeds at least 3 times a day. Diet contains 32% protein with a pellet or grind size 1.0 mm. Live or live frozen feed such as black worms, tubifex worms or blood worms. Paste made up primarily of beef heart and liver with a high percentage of vegetable matter (pea & spinach ).

Step 3. After 2 weeks broodstock should be ready to spawn. Males are placed into the spawning tanks early in the morning so they acclimate and establish a territory. Begin construction of a bubble nest in the first 2-3 hours. The females are then placed into the spawning container between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. that same day. Hatchery should be dimly lit with as little foot traffic - avoid disturbing the pairs.

Step 4. Step 5. Step 6. Step 7. Step 8.

Spawning will take place over a period from 1-4 days. The eggs - darker golden or brownish tint. After spawning remove the female to avoid injury due to the males aggression. The male will then care for the nest and fry once they are hatched. Eggs hatching- 24 hours at 27oC (80oF) and remain in the nest 2-3 days while the yolk sack is being absorbed. Fry are free swimming- 5-6 mm. Fry ready to start actively feeding. Fry tank - water siphoned out. Screened end on the siphon hose with a mesh size of 100 microns Leave 2-4 cm water column. Entire container is then taken to the pond. Acclimation can then proceed normally adding small amounts of the growout tank water. pond preparation : 10 days in advance. Filling the tank with fresh clean water. Adding a fertilizer - N:P:K ratio of 1:3:0. liquid form with a concentration of 10-30-0. Application- 1ml/50 lit. Get a Secchi disk reading of 20-30 cm. Larval tank can then be inoculated with Daphnia sp. or rotifers.

Newly stocked fry fed 2-3 times a day with a commercial swim up diet and newly hatched Artemia from stocking until day 10 when the amount of artemia can be reduced at about 10% a day until the fish are feeding exclusively on the commercial diet. Feeding : Carnivorous ; different species of invertebrates. intensive culture- natural foods are limited ; complete diet to achieve optimal growth. several color enhancing compounds given - beta carotene, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin and xanthophyll. Maximum canthaxanthin as a color enhancer, canthaxanthin fortified diet. Fish are fed in tanks or ponds at least twice a day at rate of 3-5% body weight. Growth rate: Water quality has a more profound effect on growth than the different diets. It is reported that increased nitrite and nitrate -most effect on decreasing growth rates. Trichogaster Trichopterus cultured in a 12 foot diameter tank over a 120 day period at a stocking rate 2 nos./liter. After 120 days of growth-marketable size. Marketable size -70 - 80 mm range.

Water Quality maintenance :

Harvesting : Harvesting done by seining. To reduce injury, a seine net knotless; mesh size of 1/8 inch is used. Seine nets should have a length 2.5 times the width of the pond being harvested, and have a depth 2 times the depth of the pond. Fish are not overcrowded when pulling in the seine into the pond bank at the end of the harvest because excessive injury to the fish or stress which can cause future mortalities.