EFFECT OF STOCKING DENSITY IN INTENSIVE FISH CULTURE SYSTEM ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, FEED UTILIZATION AND ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY OF NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus L.)
REARED IN HAPAS

Ramadan M. Abou-Zied1 and Ahmed A. AbdEl-Rahman2.

1 Anim. Prod. Dept. Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Egypt.

2
Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt.

Received 13/ 11/ 2012 Accepted 28/ 12/ 2012

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of varying stocking densities in intensive Nile tilapia culure system on the growth performance, feed utilization, and economic productivity of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus 1757)
reared in Brackish water ponds (average depth, 1.7 m) of Rayyan region, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, for a period of 6 months. Tilapia fingerlings with a mean initial weight of 20 ± 2.4 g were randomly stocked at 100, 200, 300 and 400 fingerling/m3 and fed on a commercial diet (27% Crude Protein). Each treatment was carried out in 3 hapas representing 4 treatment.

Results revealed that there were significant differences (P > 0.05) in final weight, weight gain, daily gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR) among all treatments studied. However there were insignificant differences (P < 0.05) in survival rate. Results show also that as stocking density increased, the growth performance values decreased indicating an inverse relationship between stocking density and growth parameters. The stocking density of 200 fingerling /m3 with a final weight of 315 g per fish, feed conversion ratio of 1.74, survival of 92.90% and fish production of 58.49 kg/m3 was considered best on the basis of the profit index of 1.35 compared with the range of 1.26 to 1.32 for the other three treatments.

Under the experimental conditions Nile tilapia reared at 200 fish/m3 was the best regarding to profit index and relatively high growth parameters

Key words: Nile tilapia, stocking density, growth performance, feed utilization and economic evaluation