Pond Preparation:

Seasonal ponds should be maintained at a depth of two feet, according to experts, while year-round habitats should be managed at a depth of five feet. The Koi fish’s metabolism greatly slows down during the winter when the water in your pond gets cold; they spend much of their time treading water at the bottom, where the warmest water is found. When preparing to introduce koi into a pond ecosystem, there are additional crucial parameters that need to be taken into account in addition to depth and temperature.

Effective management and purification of water are essential for the commercial Vietnamese koi fish growing industry. Depending on the conditions of the farming ponds, it involves various tasks including liming, fertilizing, and pulling hura (traditional water treatment) to remove harmful gases from the earthen pond’s bottom. Another essential component of water quality control is agitation. 

Water Quality Maintenance:

Vietnam koi thrive in water that is between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius, pH 5.5 to 8.0, and hardness 36 to 447 parts per million. Since many fish species are known to grow more aggressive under warm environments, temperature may possibly be a factor. Despite being cold-water fish, koi do well in water that is between 59- and 77-degrees Fahrenheit. because the temperature of the water in which they reside affects their metabolism. The health of pondfish can be negatively impacted when the dissolved oxygen content drops below 4 to 5 milligrammes per litre. This has been connected to delayed fish growth, chronic disease, parasite outbreaks, and bacterial infections. Lower than 2 mg/liter levels are especially harmful and will frequently cause koi to perish.

Feed:

The fish can be fed commercial feed twice a day, in the morning and the afternoon. Koi fish require a greater protein content in their diet for optimal growth, hence the feed should have a minimum of 30% protein. Fish should be fed based on their body size, which is roughly 8% during the nursery stage, 5% during the juvenile stage, and 2-3% during the grow-out stage.

They should only be fed once a day in cooler water (below 70 degrees Fahrenheit but above 64 degrees). Feeding should cease completely when the water temperature falls below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, as their digestive systems will almost completely shut down. It is not until the water warms that their appetites return. It will stress your fish, lower dissolved oxygen levels in the water, and degrade the water’s quality. When the fish are actively feeding in considerably warmer water (76–82 degrees Fahrenheit), take care not to overfeed them because this can lead to an unhealthy bacterial population.

Stocking density:

In general, fry stocked at 10,000/decimal is accepted. After 20 to 22 days of nursing, the fry reach 5000 fry/kg (0.2 gramme for each fry). Following 20–22 days of nursing, release the fingerlings into the raising pond. 1500 to 2000/decimal is the stocking density. It is preferable to raise Vietnam koi fingerlings in an earthen pond. The raising earthen pond should have an ideal size of 50-60 decimal. The raising earthen pond should be between three and six feet deep.

Management of disease:

Diseases might arise during the period of culturing. Fish diseases can be caused by gloomy weather, low oxygen levels, overfeeding, fish injuries, etc. Fish like koi and tilapia are frequently afflicted with bacterial illnesses. To lessen the issue, water quality should also be increased. Fish that are dead or infected should be taken out of the pond very away. Strict adherence to biosecurity protocols is necessary to preserve the pond’s healthy aquatic ecology.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

The post Management techniques of Vietnamese Koi culture in Bangladesh appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

One of Vietnam’s native fish species is the Vietnamese koi. South Asian nations are witnessing a surge in the cultivation of Vietnam koi fish. Its exterior physical form is nearly identical to that of the native climbing perch (koi) found in Bangladesh; nevertheless, it has two black spots—one in the operculum and another in the caudal peduncle—that are absent from the impoverished koi fish species.

Culture potentialities Vietnamese Koi fish

Fish farming entrepreneurs are becoming more and more interested in Vietnam koi fish farming due to its easier maintenance requirements and higher profitability. Because the Vietnamese koi fish species is growing at a faster pace there, it has a lot of potential to improve our fishing industry. It only achieved 200–250 g after 4 months of cultivation. Due to rising market prices, fish farmers in West Bengal (India), Bangladesh, Srilanka, Pakistan, and Myanmar are in greater demand for this species on a daily basis. Other fast-growing climbing perches called as Thai and Vietnamese koi strains were introduced from Thailand and Vietnam in 2002 and 2010, respectively, to alleviate this situation.

Regarding Rui or grass carp fish farming, Vietnam koi breeds are preferred because they develop more swiftly and require less maintenance than carp fish. With a little money and no prior knowledge, anyone can run a profitable Vietnam koi fish farming business. Any pond, concrete tanks, cages, plastic tanks or even a biofloc fish farming system can be used to raise this type of freshwater fish. 

Due to its high concentration of iron, copper, readily digested polyunsaturated fats, and numerous vital amino acids, this kind of fish is valued as food and is advised for those who are ill or recovering. The creation of appropriate culture technologies for short-cycle fish species is crucial to raising fish production. In Bangladesh’s semi-arid zone, a novel cultural pattern known as polyculture of Vietnam koi (Anabas testudineus) was introduced to facilitate the appropriate use of small seasonal water bodies and reduce the impact of climate threats.

The polyculture method of raising Vietnamese Koi and monosex tilapia in ponds has a lot of potential and is feasible due to their quick development, high yielding, high stocking densities, ability to withstand fluctuations in water quality parameters, similar feed requirements, and strong market demand in Bangladesh.

Some disadvantages of polyculture include high feed costs, contaminated fry from the source, tilapia reproducing as a result of incorrectly hormonized monosex tilapia, and unexpectedly low tilapia prices at the market.

Farhana Islam
Agriculturist, Researcher
Fisheries Resource Management, CVASU

The post Potentialities of Koi fish or climbing perch farming appeared first on Seafood Network BD.

This expansion in fish farming has not only provided a major source of protein for low-income families but has also created numerous job and income opportunities in rural and suburban areas. Approximately 20 million individuals in the country are engaged in fish farming and trade.

The production of these three fish species have witnessed remarkable growth. For instance, the annual production of cultured pangasius increased from 155 thousand tons in 2010-11 to 395 thousand tons in the 2021-22 fiscal year, while tilapia output surged from 98 thousand tons to 329 thousand tons and Koi production rose to a astonishing 350% to reach 57,244 tons during the same period. Overall, cultured fish production in Bangladesh nearly doubled between FY11 and FY22, rising from 1.2 million tons to 2.17 million tons. (Source: Department of Fisheries, DoF)

The increased cultivation of these species can be attributed to factors such as the availability of fish fries, the use of commercial feed, and market demand. The introduction of artificial breeding of pangasius in the 1990s by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) played a pivotal role in their popularity among middle and lower-income groups as well as urban poor across the country, making it a crucial source of animal protein. The high survival rate (close to 100%) of Pangasius fries has further motivated farmers in various regions of the country to engage in fish farming. For example, there are 112 thousand fish farmers in the Mymensingh division, mostly in Trishal, Gouripur, Phulpur, Tarakanda, Bhaluka and Muktagacha upazilas, according to Dilip Kumar Saha, district fisheries officer. 

Koi is also a native freshwater fish species and very popular among the fishmongers. Though it had a very low output before the introduction of artificial breeding. Mainly genetically improved Thailand based broodstock has changed its size, weight to double and overall production in the country since 2003. Koi farming is profitable for the farmers as it can be farmed in high density in small ponds even without aerators. This species can sustain a long time without water and in adverse environments. Almost a cent percent survival ratio, low feed cost, several crops per year and high demand in the market made Koi farming popular among the farmers across the country.

Aquaculture industry has emerged as a leading job creator in Bangladesh, as the sector requires significant manpower involvement throughout its value chain. The ease of producing these three fish varieties and the possibility of farming them in household ponds have also contributed to their widespread cultivation, resulting in affordable prices for end-consumers. Getting out of traditional practices and adopting improved farming methods have further boosted production for farmers.

According to International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) report, 56% of Bangladesh’s fish supply originates from ponds, and the practice of fish farming in these ponds has resulted in a nearly six-fold increase in production over the past thirty years. In 1990, the average annual per capita fish consumption was around 7.5 kg, but now it has surged about 30 kg.

The cultivation of Pangasius, Tilapia, and Koi has had a substantial impact on increasing the overall output of fish in Bangladesh, with the total fish production reaching 4.7 million tons in FY22, up about 55% from 3.62 million tons in FY11. Aquaculture now accounts for about 45% of the total output, and led by these three species which is annually 8%. (Source: DoF)

According to Mr. Yahia Mahmud, the director general of the BFRI (Bangladesh Fish Research Institute), “Bangladesh has the potential to enter the market of value-added pangasius products for export. The introduction of “white pangasius” has gained attention from farmers, with the possibility of meeting demand in other countries by exporting“.

White muscle or white pangasius is a Vietnamese breed and has a buttery white flesh which has given them aesthetic benefit over locally framed Pangasius in the country. Local pangasius flesh is more of a yellowish with pink or reddish in colour which is less preferable by the foreign buyers. Though, the white Pangasius farming is yet to gain popularity as there is not much of export activities in the country for this species.  

Bangladesh has ranked 3rd for “Inland fish capture production”and 5th for “aquaculture production” in the world in FAO’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022, although the country is only 148 thousand square kilometers by area and smaller than half size of Vietnam.

Though when it comes to export, the picture is quite pale. During FY ’22-23, total fisheries sector earning is US $422 million and shrimp accounts for about 71% of the total export value, US $300 million and it was only around 22 thousand tons. Country’s shrimp export is dominated by semi-organic Black Tiger Shrimp (P. monodon) which are cultivated in traditional farming methods.

Bangladesh has 175,000 hectare of land area for shrimp aquaculture (brackish water 155,000 ha, freshwater 10,000 ha) which is more than the land area that India allocated for its shrimp aquaculture (160,000 hectare). Yet, Bangladesh’s shrimp industry is losing its production about 6-8% annually. There were about 140 export-oriented seafood processors in the country, unfortunately only 30 of those processing factories are still manage to stay active and rest have shut-down due to the shortage of raw materials.

Bangladesh govt has recently approved the P. Vannamei for the commercial cultivation to boost up its shrimp export. Though Vannamei cultivation will require a fair amount of time to flourish as its aquaculture value chain (i.e., hatchery, Nursery, technicians) is yet to be developed in the country.

There’s a rising question in the stakeholders, if the industry can’t maximize the benefits from the native species, Black Tiger or monodon shrimp, how will we go along with P. Vannamei.

Pangasius and Tilapia could be a very suitable option to increase aquatic export for the country along with the shrimp. These two species are now being cultivated in both traditional and improved traditional method which leaves ample opportunities to employ advance farming method by leveraging technology and enhance their production to a greater number.

Bangladesh has immense potential as the value-added products from pangasius and tilapia have a good demand in the US, EU and Asian markets. Modern farming methods, more investment at farm level, processing plant’s infrastructure developments and due-diligence from the government can add them into the foreign currency earnings stream and create more job opportunities in the country.

The post Bangladesh’s aquaculture triumph: three leading fish species appeared first on Seafood Network BD.