EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE COMPOSITION ON THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND CARCASS QUALITY IN PROBIOTICS ENRICHED FISH POND ECOSYSTEM

Increased production of fish through intense culture practices often leads to not only stress and disease problems but also alteration in water quality. The organic wastes and bad water quality influence the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Bioremediation using pond probiotics is considered a promising way to circumvent these problems. A 45-day growth trial was completed to assess rearing water quality and fish performance in probiotics enriched fish pond ecosystem in terms of growth, feed efficacy, digestive enzymes, immunity, and productivity of Clarias gariepinus supplemented with commercial feed Blue - crown and substrate - activated wood charcoal (AC) and sand. In this study 16 holding tanks were treated with Probiotics having Bio-clean aqua for the water and Bio-gut aqua for the feed. Physio-chemical parameters such as, temperature , pH, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, turbidity, nitrate, total suspended solids, nitrite, were carried out in the laboratory to asses the quality of the water for the fish culture as well as the effect of the total organic carbon. Carcass analysis was carried out on two harvested fishes per tank, S1, S2, S3, S4, at 45days culture period and analyzed. In each population, total weight(g), total length(cm), Head weight(g), Fillet percentage(%), Viscerosomatic Index (VSI), Hepatosomatic index (HSI) and condition factor were used to analyze the quality of the carcass from each holding tanks. The factors responsible for the improved water quality and fish yields under the influence of probiotics are analyzed and discussed.