Growth of milkfish (Chanos chanos forsskal) maintained in multitrophic seafarming with different water exchange systems

Abstract

Milkfish is an important commodity with high economical value, delicious meat, relatively reachable price, disease attack resistance, and non-cannibalistic, which can live in high stocking density and can be cultured in polyculture system with other animals and plants, therefore encourages many fish farmers to perform this culture system. This study was performed in experimental method with three treatments and three replications of different water exchange systems, namely, once in 2 days (Tank A), everyday (Tank B), and everyday water circulation (Tank C). Milkfish seeds with average initial weight of 11.37 ± 0.97 g and average initial length of 6.08 ± 0.78 cm were maintained for 45 days at different water exchange systems and fed with Megami pellet feed. The results showed that Tank C with water circulation performed everyday was the best treatment to improve the milkfish seed production with 100% survival rate, 1.77±0.01%.day-1 specific growth rate, 4370.37 ±1.28μm.day-1 absolute length growth, and 31.91 ±2.82% feed efficiency.