Growth Performance of Catfish (Clarias gariepenus) Cultured of High Density with Biofloc System

Abstract

Catfish is a species of freshwater fish that contains a source of protein and it has economic value and has become one of the famous commodities in Indonesia. Biofloc can be one alternative waste fixers intensive cultivation for reduce the waste of inorganic nitrogen and also provide additional protein for increase growth and feed efficiency. This study was to determine the effect of high stocking densities on the growth performance of african catfish in biofloc system. This study used completely randomized design (CRD) with different stocking densities in the system biofloc T1.(1000/m3), T2.(1500/m3), T3.(2000/m3), and T4.(2500/m3). Animal trials were using jouvenile african catfish with an average weight of 1.06±0.3g, which maintained in a pool tarpoulin cage with water volume ±2000L for 50 days with feeding ratio 3% of the weight biomass. The results showed a significantly different effect (P<0.05) against the value of hepatosomatic index, absolute growth and daily growth rate, but the result not significant at spesific growth rate. The second treatment (T2) showed the best results than others in the growth rate and daily growth rate with a value of 6.45±3.1g for absolute growth and 0.13±0.06g for daily growth rate. The four treatment showed the best results than others in the hepatosomatic index with value 4.7 ± 1.8%. These findings demonstrate a role of biofloc technology in catfish aquaculture.