Effectiveness of Different Vegetable Plants on Intensive Culture of Catfish (Clarias sp.) using Aquaponic Ebb-tide System

Abstract

The culture of fish and vegetable plants in aquaponic ebb-tide system is based on the principle of zero-waste aquaculture. The purpose of this study is to see how effective the use of different vegetable plants in an aquaponic ebb-tide system for intensive culture. As much as 3000 catfish (Clarias sp.) were stocked per pond (measuring 4 x 2 m2), with individual lengths of 8-10 cm. A completely randomized design (CRD) with three treatments and three replications was used in this study. With 60 days of observation, the research treatments included a variety of vegetable plants: (A) water spinach, (B) caisin, and (C) no plants (control). Absolute weight gain and survival rate, water physico-chemistry parameters, Total N and Total P analyses on vegetable plants among the observation parameters. Treatment was found to have the highest average weight gain and survival rate (73.63 g and 87.41%, respectively). Water spinach biomass was 102 kg at the end of the study, whereas caisin biomass was 72.54 kg. Total N and Total P absorption percentages in water spinach were 38.72% and 54.43%, respectively, while 36.00% and 49.55% in caisin. The catfish condition factor showed correlation coefficients with fish weight R2 = 0.978, R2 = 0.956, and R2 = 0.357 and R2 = 0.892, R2 = 0.8215 and R2 = 0.369 for length in the water spinach, caisin, and control treatments, respectively. This study's analysis of water quality parameters indicated that the A treatment had the lowest levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate when compared to the B and C treatments.Keywords: catfish, aquaponic ebb-tide, water spinach, caisin