Abstract:
Growth performance of gold fish Carassius auratus (L.) produced in tanks of different size and
treated under different management regimes were compared. Tanks of two different size and make
were used (concrete; capacity: 2000 l and earthen; capacity: 59650 l) for four management
regimes: (1) live zooplankton fed to fish larvae in concrete (CLF) and earthen tanks (ELF); (2)
application of poultry manure in concrete (CPM) and earthen tanks (EPM); (3) application of cow
manure in concrete (CCD) and earthen tanks (ECD); and (4) a control treatment for concrete (CC)
and earthen tanks (EC). Fish larvae (0.10 ± 0.007 g) were cultured for 11 weeks. Weight gain of
gold fish was highest in the ELF treatment. There was a significant difference in the survival of gold
fish among the treatments, ranging from 64.83% in CC to 93.40% in ELF. Significantly higher
values of pH and dissolved oxygen were obtained in the live food and control treatments (for both
concrete and earthen tanks), compared to the manured treatments. The concentration of total
alkalinity, BOD, PO4 – P, NO3 – N and specific conductivity were significantly higher in EPM and
ECD, compared to other treatments. The results indicate that introduction of live zooplankton into
culture units resulted in higher growth of fish larvae. Better growth of cultured fish were obtained in
larger earthen tanks compared to smaller concrete tanks through maintenance of superior water
quality and greater abundance of plankton.
