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Email the author (Login required) Performance of sabalo Prochilodus lineatus in polyculture with pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol44-issue2-fulltext-14
Abstract
In fish farming 30% of the nutrients provided are retained as animal biomass, and the remainder is lost in the sediments. An alternative is to produce in polyculture, to take advantage of space and food. The aim of this work was to compare and evaluate the growth of Prochilodus lineatus (PL) in monoculture, in contrast to polyculture of PL and pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus for a period 11 months. Four treatments were used, control (PL 100/0), T1 (PL-pacu 50/50 proportion), T2 (PL-pacu 33/67 proportion), T3 (PL-pacu 25/75 proportion), located in ground ponds fertilized. Balanced food was provided daily considering 5% of the biomass. Water quality parameters were registered, in addition to performing biometrics monthly. The physical and chemical water quality parameters remained within appropriate values for both species in every pond. Zootechnical variables were analyzed: coefficient of specific growth, feed efficiency, productivity, survival and live weight. The weight variable of T3 was the highest, significantly different of the control (P < 0.05). The values of the remaining variables, were higher than in the other treatments, but without significant differences (P < 0.05). Although no differences in four of the five variables studied were found, a trend in favor of T3 can be observed, which was not statistically significant due to the limited number of replicates available and great variability. However, following the trend obtained and the experimental conditions, PL showed better growth and survival when accompanied by the pacu found in a 25/75 ratio, representing a satisfactory alternative to the cultivation of the species.
