in order to mitigate fatalities, crossbred catfish should be farmed in clear, tarpaulin-lined ponds in lieu of the conventional earth-dug ponds, say those in the fish farming industry.
Despite a quicker growth rate from the freedom to move around, rendering less time required before the fish are ready for sale, these attributes to breeding catfish in earthen ponds are negated by the murky waters of such ponds which make monitoring the size of the fish, and how much feed they require, a tricky task, resulting in many fatalities from unequal growth rates.
“The DNA of crossbreed catfish is a little rough; the large ones have a tendency eat the smaller ones. Tarpaulin lined ponds make it easy to assess the catfish and keep them under control. It’s also less strenuous to make sure they stay healthy – we can always keep an eye on them. Less fed goes to waste and it’s not troublesome to estimate their weight. The plastic lined ponds also require less water, which makes things convenient. It’s a method of breeding which can be practiced at home, opening up a source of revenue for homeowners,” explained Moe Ye Win, a fish farmer from Yangon’s Khayan Township.
As both catfish and banded snakehead species of fish both possess two sets of gills, they can reportedly be bred in tarpaulin-lined ponds on in large indoor fish tanks.
Tarpaulin-lined ponds can also reportedly be built with just bamboo and wooden poles for support, allowing fish breeding enterprises to be setup in narrow spaces, such as rooftops.
“Dependent upon the type of fed, it’s best to change the tank’s water at least once a day. As for times when the fish give birth, or need re-hydration salts, 800 grams of course salt should be added to the tank. It doesn’t need to be added all the time, though. The narrowness of the tarpaulin ponds, however, doesn’t make them suitable for breeding carp,” said Zeyar Gyi, a crossbreed catfish farmer from Sagaing Region’s Ye-U Township.
Approximately 5,000 crossbred catfish measuring one-and-a-half inches in size can be bred in a 225 square feet tarpaulin lined tank, before they must reportedly be moved to a larger tank when they grow to between two and three inches in size, say fish farmers.—Myitmakha News Agency
Source: The Global New Light Of Myanmar