Effect of Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios Using Millet as a Carbon Source on Growth Performance, Water Quality, and Microbial Dynamics in a Biofloc System for Catla catla
Vala Jaya
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Shrivastava Vivek *
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Bhadarka Asif
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Rathod Nidhi
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
S Remya
School of Applied Sciences and Technology, Gujarat Technological University, Gujarat, India.
Sujit Kumar
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Parekh Bhavika
ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochin, Kerala, India.
Kamaliya Tamanna
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Mootapally Chandrashekar
School of Applied Sciences and Technology, Gujarat Technological University, Gujarat, India.
Nathani Neelam
School of Applied Sciences and Technology, Gujarat Technological University, Gujarat, India.
Abhay B. Bamaniya
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Ridhdhisa R. Barad
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Vasava R. J.
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Zankat Harshrajsinh M.
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Solanki Haresh B.
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
Tandel Dhruti
College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University, Himmatnagar, Gujarat, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A 30-day experiment was conducted to optimize the Carbon-to-Nitrogen (C:N) ratio using millet as a carbon source for the rearing of Catla catla fry. The study utilized a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three treatments in triplicate: C:N 10:1 (T1), C:N 15:1 (T2), and C:N 20:1 (T3). Catla catla fry (initial weight 0.88 ± 0.03 g) were stocked at a density of 1.5 g/L (approx. 500 fish/tank) in 300 L tanks. Water quality, microbial floc volume, and growth parameters were monitored weekly. Results indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) in growth performance among treatments. Fish reared in T3 (C:N 20:1) achieved the highest final body weight (2.68 ± 0.10 g) and survival rate (85%), compared to T1 (1.69 ± 0.04 g; 66%). Water quality parameters in T3 were maintained within optimal ranges, with significantly lower Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN) (0.52 ± 0.09 ppm) compared to T1 (0.62 ± 0.14 ppm). Floc volume was highest in T3 (20.9 ± 1.23 mL/L), indicating robust microbial proliferation. These findings suggest that a C:N ratio of 20:1 using millet flour significantly enhances growth performance and water quality for Catla catla fry in biofloc systems.
Keywords: Catla, Biofloc Technology, millet, optimization, growth performance, water quality