Title: EFFECT OF STOCKING DENESITY AND FEEDING RATE ON PRODUCTION OF EARTHENPONDS CULTURED WITH NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus).
Abstract: The study was conducted over a 98 days period in order to study effects of stocking density and feeding rate on production of earthen ponds cultured with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).Each hapa measuring 2*4*1m was suspended in an earthen pond (4000m 2 ).There were 6 treatments, each consisting of three replicates, stocked with fish of mean individual initial bodyweigh19g.A total number of 32, 64 and 128 Nile tilapia were randomly distributed into 6 treatment groups, representing 3 stocking rates, and were fed daily at rates (zero, 3, and 4%) of fish live bodyweight.Fish were fed a balanced diet of 28.5% crude protein along the period of the experiment.The treatments were stocking densities (4, 8, and 16 fish/m 3 ) and feeding rates (zero, 3, and 4%).The results indicate that the best final bodyweight, feed utilization, physiological status, and chemical composition was obtained by group T7 (stocking density 4fish/m 3 and feeding rate 4%).