EFFECT OF FEED AND FERTILIZER ON PRODUCTION OF MONOSEX TILAPIA (O. niloticus) FARMING IN POND

Abstract

Effect of feed and fertilizer on the growth of monosex tilapia in pond was studied for 3 months from August to November 2013 in Sylhet Agricultural University campus. The present experiment was done under 4 treatments (one was control T0). Each treatment had 3 replications. The size of each pond was 0.004ha and depth 1 m and stocking density 49400 (0.3 g each) per hectare. Fry of tilapia were initially fed at 50% of their body weight in T3. Then the feeding rate was gradually reduced up to 5% of body weight. Fish were fed twice a day. Fish of T2 was given 50% of the feed which was given to T3. Lime was administrated at a rate of 617.5 Kg per hectare in all the treatments. T1 and T2 were fertilized with cow dung, urea and triple super phosphate (TSP) initially at a rate of 1482 Kg, 49.4 Kg and 49.4 Kg per hectare respectively and subsequently at a rate of 370.5 kg, 9.88 kg and 9.88 kg weekly during the experimental period. Fish were sampled fortnightly by using small seine net for weight measurement and feeding rate and amount was adjusted. The significance level was assessed through one way ANOVA. Significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) was observed for growth indices such as final body weight, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate (SGR) and yield (kg/ha) among different treatments except T2 and T3 in case of SGR and survival rate. The highest survival rate of tilapia were 90% in T3 with a minimum in T0 (50%). Highest and lowest FCR value was 0.90±.06 and 0.79±.01 in T2 and T3 respectively. Specific growth rates of the experimental fish in different treatments were maximum (6.78±.015% per day) in T3 and minimum (4.38±0.02 % per day) in T0. Gross yield of tilapia calculated was highest in T3 (6.06±1.20 ton/ha) and lowest in T0 (0.39±0.14 ton/ha). The BCR was maximum in T3 (2.01) and minimum in T0 (0.20). The result reveals that T3 is the best monosex tilapia culture method in pond.