REARING WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS FOR WIDEHEAD CATFISH CLAROTES LATICEPS (RÜPPEL, 1829) IN POND AQUACULTURE

Abstract

Optimum water quality parameters are required for growth, survival, welfare and feasibility of rearing Widehead Catfish Clarotes laticeps (Rüppel, 1829) in Captivity.However, for a fish to grow and develop naturally in a cultured environment, the optimum water quality needs to be evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the water qualityin a cultured environment stocked with Clarotes laticeps (Rüppel, 1829) for 90 days. 60 live juveniles of Clarotes laticeps (Rüppel, 1829) of 85g mean weight were obtained from fishermen  around River Benue. The fishes were randomly stocked into three (3) earthen and one (1) control ponds of size  (2 m × 2 m × 0.8 m) at 15 fish per pond, with water level maintained at 3/4 full. The water quality values were taken twice a week and recorded throughout the experimental period. The result indicated a similarity(P>0.05) in the mean values of pH, temperature, Conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen (D.O). However, Dissolved oxygen (D.O) was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the Control group (stocked with O. niloticus) while Phosphate was observed to be absent in the treatment group. Results obtained for Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Ammonium (NH4), Nitrate, Nitrite and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were observed to be within tolerable limits for Catfish culture while silicic acid was not detected in both treatments. There was observed positive growth response in both treatments which was an indication that water quality parameters were within the tolerable limits for culture of the fish species studied.