Different Stocking Densities (different + stocking_density)

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Selected Abstracts


Production Characteristics, Water Quality, and Costs of Producing Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus at Different Stocking Densities in Single-batch Production

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2006
Brent E. Southworth
Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus farming is the largest component of aquaculture in the USA. Culture technologies have evolved over time, and little recent work has been conducted on the effects of stocking density on production characteristics and water quality. Twelve 0.1-ha ponds were stocked with 13- to 15-cm fingerlings (16 g) at either 8600, 17,300, 26,000, or 34,600 fish/ha in single-batch culture with three replicates per treatment. Fish were fed daily to apparent satiation with a 32% floating commercial catfish feed. Nitrite-N, nitrate-N, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand (COD), Secchi disk visibility, chlorophyll a, chloride, total alkalinity, total hardness, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were monitored. Ponds were harvested after a 201-d culture period (March 26, 2003 to October 13, 2003). Net yield increased significantly (P < 0.05) as stocking density increased, reaching an average of 9026 kg/ha at the highest density. Growth and marketable yield (>0.57 kg) decreased with increasing stocking density. Survival was not significantly different among densities. Mean and maximum daily feeding rates increased with density, but feed conversion ratios did not differ significantly among treatments (overall average of 1.42), despite the fact that at the higher stocking densities, the feeding rates sometimes exceeded 112 kg/ha per d (100 lb/ac per d). Morning DO concentrations fell below 3 mg/L only once in a 34,600 fish/ha pond. Concentrations of chlorophyll a, COD, nitrite-N, and TAN increased nominally with increasing feed quantities but did not reach levels considered problematic even at the highest stocking densities. Breakeven prices were lowest for the highest stocking density even after accounting for the additional time and growth required for submarketable fish to reach market size. While total costs were higher for the higher density treatments, the relatively higher yields more than compensated for higher costs. [source]


Stocking density-dependent growth and survival of Asian sun catfish, Horabagrus brachysoma (Gunther 1861) larvae

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 4 2010
S. K. Sahoo
Summary The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the growth and survival of Horabagrus brachysoma larvae at different stocking densities (3, 7, 13, 20, 27 and 33 larvae L,1) during their hatchery phase. Total length and wet weight of the larvae consistently decreased (P < 0.05) at the end of 14 and 28 days of rearing as the density increased. The specific growth rate was significantly (P < 0.05) highest at three larvae L,1 compared to the other five densities. The percent weight gain and survival of larvae was also highest at lowest density. The observation corroborates that catfish larvae can be reared at low densities in stagnant water conditions. Considering the value of larval growth, survival and overall weight gain, the stocking density of seven larvae L,1 has been identified as the maximum for larval rearing of H. brachysoma under hatchery conditions. [source]


Effect of Multiple-batch Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, Stocking Density and Feeding Rate on Water Quality, Production Characteristics, and Costs

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006
Brent E. Southworth
To quantitatively define relationships among stocking densities, feeding rates, water quality, and production costs for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, grown in multiple-batch systems, twelve 0.1-ha earthen ponds were stocked at 8,600, 17,300, 26,000, or 34,600 fingerlings/ha along with 2,268 kg/ha of carryover fish. Fish in all ponds were fed daily to apparent satiation using 32% protein floating feed. Temperature and dissolved oxygen in each pond were monitored twice daily; pH weekly; nitrite-N, total ammonia nitrogen, and Secchi disk visibility every 2 wk; nitrate-N, chlorophyll a, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chemical oxygen demand monthly; and chloride every other month. The costs of producing channel catfish at different stocking densities were estimated. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) as a result of stocking density among treatment means of (1) gross or net yields, (2) mean weights at harvest, and (3) growth or survival of fingerlings (24,36%) and carryover fish (77,94%). Mean and maximum daily feeding rates ranged from 40 to 53 kg/ha/d and 123 to 188 kg/ha/d, respectively, and feed conversion ratios averaged 1.75. There were no differences in any feed-related parameter as a result of density. Water quality variables showed few differences among densities at samplings and no differences when averaged across the production season. Yield of fingerlings increased as stocking density increased with significant differences between the two highest and the two lowest stocking densities. Breakeven prices were lower at the higher stocking densities as a result of the higher yield of understocked fish and similar mean individual fish weights produced at these higher stocking densities. Overall, varying stocking densities of fingerlings in multiple-batch systems had little effect on production efficiency and water quality. Additional research on managing the population structure of carryover fish in commercial catfish ponds may be warranted. [source]


Comparison of Three Culture Methods for the Intensive Culture of Northern Quahog Seed, Mercenaria mercenaria

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 1 2001
Timothy J. Pfeiffer
A number of approaches have been utilized for growing bivalve hatchery seed (1 mm) to a size suitable for field planting (< 8 mm) but few have been directly compared. This study evaluated the growth and survival of northern quahog seed in three different culture systems and two different stocking densities. The three systems were: 1) a stacked-tray unit with downward water flow; 2) traditional upweller culture units with water flowing upward without seed bed expansion; and 3) upweller culture units with water flowing upward at fluidization velocities to provide seed bed expansion. The two stocking densities were 1.0 and 3.0 g whole wet weight clam/cm2 respectively. During each trial period the seed clams were fed a 1% daily ration (% dry weight algae per wet weight clam per day) of the cultured diatom Chaetoceros muelleri. After 14 d of culture at the 1.0 g whole wet weight/cm2 stocking density, seed clams (4.4 ± 0.6 mm initial shell length) under fluidized-flow condition exhibited better growth (0.54/d), and a greater final shell length (5.9 ± 1.0 mm). At the high density stocking conditions, after 28 d of culture, seed clams (4.2 ± 0.6 mm initial shell length) in the fluidized-flow culture conditions again exhibited better growth rate (0.031/d) and a greater final shell length (6.0 ± 1.0 mm). The preliminary evaluation of fluidized-flow for seed clam culture in land-based nurseries indicates its potential as a suitable alternative to raceway, downwelling, or traditional forced-flow culture methods. [source]


Growth and performance of the whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei (Boone) cultured in low-salinity water with different stocking densities and acclimation times

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 6 2010
Héctor M Esparza-Leal
Abstract We evaluated the performance of whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) in response to different stocking densities and acclimation periods. Shrimp postlarvae were acclimated from seawater (30 g L,1) to low-salinity well water (<1.0 g L,1) at a constant hourly reduction rate of 40, 60, 80 and 100 h. After acclimation to low-salinity well water, postlarvae from each acclimation time treatment were stocked in three replicate tanks at densities of 50, 100, 150 or 200 shrimps m,2 for 12 weeks of growth. Salinity averaged <1.0 g L,1 for each growth study. The different treatments resulted in significant differences in both the final body weight and the survival rate (SR). Shrimp acclimated for 100 h showed substantially improved survival (83%) relative to shrimp acclimated for shorter periods. Shrimp yields for all cultured periods ranged from 0.32 kg m,2 in tanks stocked at 50 m,2 to 1.14 kg m,2 in tanks stocked at 200 m,2. We conclude that whiteleg shrimp can be successfully grown in low-salinity well water, and that the growth, production output and SRs are significantly higher when shrimp are acclimated for longer periods. [source]


Growth and mortality of common octopus Octopus vulgaris reared at different stocking densities in Mediterranean offshore cages

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 10 2009
Benjamín García García
Abstract Four ongrowing cycles of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), each with two stocking densities, were carried out in an offshore area in order to evaluate the effect of the following variables on growth (G, % body weight day,1) and mortality (M, % day,1): weight (W, 0.5,3.0 kg), temperature (T, 14,26 °C), stocking density (SD, 6,46 kg m,3), size dispersion, expressed as coefficient of variation (CV, 13,42%) and significant wave height (SWH: 0.4,1.2 m). The assays were performed in an 8 m3 stainless-steel floating cage divided into two compartments of 4 m3 each. For the range of temperatures considered (14,26 °C), G depended significantly on T and SWH, with maximum G values being obtained at 18.5 °C and with an important negative effect of SWH. M depended significantly on T, W and CV, mortality being minimal at 18 °C. The two other variables had an antagonistic effect, mortality increasing with greater size dispersion , suggesting that animals should be graded throughout the process , although the effect diminished as the sizes increased. The results point towards two alternatives for the commercial ongrowing of octopus under the particular conditions of the present study: (A) two ongrowing cycles of 3.5 months to reach a final weight of 2.5 kg or (B) one 5-month cycle to reach a final weight of 3.5 kg. [source]


Cage culture of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) at different stocking densities in a shallow eutrophic lake

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 2 2009
Maria Lourdes A Cuvin-Aralar
Abstract Postlarvae of Litopenaeus vannamei were acclimated and stocked in lake-based cages at the following stocking densities: 10, 20, 30 and 40 shrimp m,2. Another set of shrimp was stocked in concrete tanks as reference samples at 30 shrimp m,2. Significant differences were observed among stocking densities throughout the 95-day culture. The final weight at harvest decreased with increasing stocking density: mean weights of 23.3, 15.8, 13.0, 10.9 and 14.6 g for the 10, 20, 30, 40 shrimp m,2 and reference tanks were observed respectively. There were no significant differences in survival throughout the culture period, ranging between 69% and 77%. Daily growth rates (range: 0.11,0.24 g day,1) and specific growth rates (range: 3.54,4.34%) also differed significantly among stocking densities, both increasing with decreasing stocking density. The feed conversion ratio in the cages did not differ among the stocking densities, ranging from 1.53 to 1.65. The relationship between stocking density and mean individual weight at harvest followed the equation y=81.06x,0.54 (R2=0.938) and that of stocking density and production (in g m,2) is y=58.01x,0.46 (R2=0.834). [source]


Effect of stocking density and protein/fat ratio of the diet on the growth of Dover sole (Solea solea)

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 16 2008
Giovanni Piccolo
Abstract Two hundred and fifty soles (30 g initial weight) were randomly stocked in 12 tanks (recirculation system) at two different stocking densities (2.3 and 1.3 kg m,2) and fed on two different diets (50% and 54% of crude protein and 21% and 18% of total lipid, respectively, for diets A and B) with triplicate tanks for treatment. The trial lasted for 300 days. Fish stocked at low density showed a significantly higher weight gain than the fish reared at 2.3 kg m,2 density (94.1±7.4 vs. 78.9±8.2 g, P<0.01) with a specific growth rate (SGR) of 0.46±0.11 and 0.43±0.16 (P<0.01) respectively. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was more favourable for lower density groups (2.50 vs. 2.64, P<0.01). Diet B led to a higher final weight (124.1 vs. 110.2 g, P<0.01) and a better feed utilization (FCR: 2.49 vs. 2.65, P<0.01). Except for the lipid content, which was higher in the low-density group (2.6% vs. 2.3%, P<0.05), proximate composition of sole's muscle was not influenced by treatments. Dover sole reared at low stocking density showed higher monounsaturated fatty acid (35.27% vs. 34.40%, P<0.01) and lower saturated fatty acid (24.36 vs. 26.13%, P<0.01) contents, and lower atherogenic (0.67 vs. 0.75, P<0.01) and thrombogenic (0.28 vs. 0.32, P<0.01) indexes. [source]


Nursery rearing of the Asian catfish, Clarias macrocephalus (Günther), at different stocking densities in cages suspended in tanks and ponds

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 13 2002
Ruby F Bombeo
Abstract Growth and survival of hatchery-bred Asian catfish, Clarias macrocephalus (Günther), fry reared at different stocking densities in net cages suspended in tanks and ponds were measured. The stocking densities used were 285, 571 and 1143 fry m,3 in tanks and 114, 228 and 457 fry m,3 in ponds. Fish were fed a formulated diet throughout the 28-day rearing period. Generally, fish reared in cages in ponds grew faster, with a specific growth rate (SGR) range of 10.3,14.6% day,1, than those in cages suspended in tanks (SGR range 9,11.3% day,1). This could be attributed to the presence of natural zooplankton (copepods and cladocerans) in the pond throughout the culture period, which served as additional food sources for catfish juveniles. In both scenarios, the fish reared at lower densities had significantly higher SGR than fish reared at higher densities. In the pond, the SGR of fish held at 228 and 457 m,3 were similar to each other but were significantly lower than those of fish held at 114 m,3. The zooplankton in ponds consisted mostly of copepods and cladocerans, in contrast to tanks, in which rotifers were more predominant. Per cent survival ranged from 85% to 89% in tanks and from 78% to 87% in ponds and did not differ significantly among stocking densities and between rearing systems. In conclusion, catfish nursery in cages suspended in tanks and ponds is density dependent. Catfish fry reared at 285 m,3 in tanks and at 114 m,3 in ponds had significantly faster growth rates than fish reared at higher densities. However, the desired fingerling size of 3,4 cm total length for stocking in grow-out culture can still be attained at stocking densities of 457 m,3 in nursery pond and 571 m,3 in tanks. [source]