A comparative study on the evaluation of cyprinids growth performance in IMTA systems

• Published in: Aquaculture, Aquarium, Conservation & Legislation Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 87 - 102
• Main Authors: Petrea, Stefan M, Mogodan, Alina, Metaxa, Isabelle, Plăcintă, Săndiţa, Vasile, Mihaela A, Huian, Gheorghe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cluj-Napoca Bioflux SRL 28.02.2017
• Subjects: Aquaculture; Aquatic ecosystems; Area; Biomass; Biometrics; Carp; Cereals; Comparative analysis; Comparative studies; Conversion ratio; Ctenopharyngodon idella; Cyprinidae; Cyprinus; Cyprinus carpio; Evaluation; Evolution; Experimental research; Feed conversion; Fish; Fish ponds; Fish production; Fisheries management; Fishing; Fishponds; Food; Food conversion; Freshwater fishes; Growth rate; Harvesting; Hypophthalmichthys molitrix; Hypophthalmichthys nobilis; Individual rearing; Laboratory experimentation; Polyculture (aquaculture); Ponds; Proteins; Water depth; Water quality; Zoology; Asia; Eastern Europe; Europe
• ISSN: 1844-8143; 1844-9166

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the cyprinids growth performance in condition of two integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems. For our study, two fishponds with an area of 0.45 ha each and an average water depth of 1.5 m, were used. The first pond (PCP) was used for rearing polyculture common carp (Cyprinus carpio) with grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). The second pond was divided by using a net, as follows: first part with an area of 0.15 ha CP (carp pond - common carp) and the second part with an area of 0.30 ha PP (polyculture pond - common carp, grass carp, bighead carp and silver carp). The experimental research has lasted for 83 days from 15 June to 5 September 2016. During this experimental period, three intermediary biometric and biomass measurements were made, respectively intermediary 1 (6 July 2016), intermediary 2 (25 July 2016) and intermediary 3 (5 August 2016), except initial (15 June 2016) and harvesting (5 September 2016) biometric measurements. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) value was recorded in case of CP-PP experimental variant (0.59), while CP registered the highest FCR value (1.35). In case of CP, the FCR evolution had an upward tendency until final harvesting, starting from 0.48; 1.61 and ending to 1.99, while in case of PCP, the upward tendency of FCR from 0.53 to 1.44 is followed by a decrease to 1.07, registered at intermediary 3. Specific growth rate (SGR) had a downward tendency during the experimental period in case of common carp and grass carp, while the small upward tendency was observed in certain experimental stages, in case of silver carp and bighead carp. The average of protein efficiency ratio (PER) during the experimental period registered a value of 2.56 in case of PCP, 2.64 for CP and 6.06 for CP-PP. Our study had demonstrated that an IMTA cyprinides pond production system, were common carp is considered as main essential species, can be more sustainable, comparing with a classical polyculture cyprinides pond production system. In terms of common carp growth performance and total cyprinides biomass production, PCP production system registered the best results, compared with the IMTA system (CP-PP). Key Words: cyprinids, Cyprinus carpio, fishponds, growth performance, IMTA.