Effect of Different Stocking Densities on the Water Quality Parameters in Cyprinus carpio var. communis Culture System
Shahziya Shah *
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Farooz Ahmad Bhat *
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Tasaduq Hussain Shah
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Irfan Ahmad
Division of Fish Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Bilal Ahmad Bhat
Division of Agri Economics and Statistics, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Syed Talia Mushtaq
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Adnan Amin
Division of Aquatic Environmental Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Ishrat Mohd
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Asim Bazaz
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Hilal Ahmad Bhat
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Aahali Jahan
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Ifra Rashid
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Mehak Hafeez
Division of Fish Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
Shahida Mohi-ud-din
Division of Fisheries Resource Management, Faculty of Fisheries, SKUAST-K, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The present study evaluated the effect of different stocking densities on selected water-quality parameters in the culture medium of common carp, Cyprinus carpio var. communis. The experiment was conducted for 90 days using four stocking-density treatments: T₁ (3.7 kg m⁻³), T₂ (6.9 kg m⁻³), T₃ (9.3 kg m⁻³) and T₄ (11.7 kg m⁻³), with four replications in a completely randomised design. Common carp fingerlings with an average initial weight of 30 g were reared in 80 L plastic tubs and fed daily at 5% of body weight. Water-quality parameters were assessed fortnightly during the experimental period. Temperature ranged from 24.05 ± 0.04 to 27.70 ± 0.04 °C, while dissolved oxygen remained between 8.20 ± 0.07 and 8.57 ± 0.02 mg L⁻¹. Free carbon dioxide ranged from 0.62 ± 0.02 to 0.65 ± 0.04 mg L⁻¹, and pH remained slightly alkaline, ranging from 7.42 ± 0.04 to 7.65 ± 0.06. Nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂-N) varied from 5.82 ± 0.02 to 5.90 ± 0.00 µg L⁻¹, whereas ammoniacal nitrogen ranged from 49.00 ± 0.00 to 49.10 ± 0.02 µg L⁻¹. The findings indicate that, under the conditions of this study, the assessed stocking densities maintained water-quality parameters within acceptable limits for common carp culture.
Keywords: Cyprinus carpio var. communis, common carp, stocking density, water quality, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia, nitrite nitrogen, carbon dioxide, tub-based culture, fish fingerlings, aquaculture management