Management of Nursery

&
Rearing ponds

Speaker: Dr. M.Das Trakroo

Nursery pond management
Nursery ponds are:
• Small and shallow (60-70 cm water level)
• Seasonal ones are preferable
• Post larval rearing up to fry (20-25 mm) stage
• For a nursing period of 15-20 days
Nursery management includes:
• Pre-stocking practices
• Stocking practices
• Post stocking practices
FISH SEED PRODUCTION FARM
 Pre-stocking practices
• Drying / emptying of pond (if perennial)
• Eradication of weeds
• Eradication of predatory and unwanted fishes
and other enemies
• Liming
• Manuring
• Eradication of aquatic insects
• Selective enrichment of preferred natural food
(rotifers)
 Stocking
• Correct time of stocking

• Correct stocking density

• Pond water analysis

• Correct way of release of post larvae in the

pond
 Post-stocking practices
• Supplementary feeding
• Water level maintenance
• Monitoring of water conditions
• Control of algal blooms (filamentous) and
insects etc.
• Sampling
• Harvesting
Pre-stocking practices
Eradication of aquatic weeds
• Manual labour
• Netting

Eradication of predatory and weed fishes

• Complete dewatering
• Poisoning ( mahua oil cake @ 200 mg/l)
– Kills snails and tadpoles also
– Toxic effect persists for 12-15 days
– Afterwards acts as manure
Drying of pond
Liming
• Limestone ( CaCO3) is used
– Quantity based on pH of water

Manuring
• Heavy dose of organic manure
• Manuring omitted where pond is poisoned with
mahua oil cake
• Mineral fertilizers not recommended
Liming
Manuring
Eradication of aquatic insects

• Both larvae and adult insects can be removed by

repeated netting

• Soap and oil emulsion application

• Cheap vegetable oil (56 kg/ha+ Detergent 18 kg/

ha)

• Diesel oil 10 l/ha + Teepol (100 l/ha)

Selective enrichment of natural food
organisms

• Organic esters of phosphoric acid (Flebol E,

Masoten, Ditrifon)

OR

• Culture of fish food organisms

Stocking
Stocking of post larvae

• Time of stocking

• Stocking density (6.0 – 10 million larvae/ ha)

• Pond water analysis ( for temperature, pH, DO

etc.)

• Release of larvae
Collection of water sample for analysis
Post-stocking practices
Supplementary feeding
Days after Feed / day Feed quantity (for
stocking 10 million
larvae/ha)
kg / day
First 5 days Double four times 10
the body weight
6th to 10th days Four to Eight 20
times the body
weight
11th to 15th days Same to above 25
Supplementary feeding
Harvesting
• Heavy mortality generally occur in nursery pond due
to
– Shortage of food
– Predation by insects and other enemies
– Killing by larger zooplankton
– Algal bloom
• Survivability is 30-40% only
– Survivability can be increased to 60-70% by
selective enrichment of food organisms and killing of
larger zooplankton
– Addition of micronutrients i.e. Cobalt chloride (@
0.01 mg/day/fish) along with food
– Addition of vitamin C and vitamin A in feed
• Time of harvesting
• Conditioning of fries before packing
Harvesting Fry from Nursery Pond
Seed Release in Rearing Pond
Management of Rearing
pond
 Rearing Pond Management
Rearing ponds are:
• Slightly larger than nursery ponds
• Fry are reared ensuring a protective
environment and ample food for their healthy
growth
• For a period of 2-3 months
Management includes:
• Pre-stocking practices
• Stocking
• Post-stocking practices
Rearing Pond
 Pre-stocking practices
• Complete draining
• Aquatic weed clearance
• Eradication of predatory and unwanted fish ( by
repeated netting or poisoning)
• Liming
• Manuring
– Cow dung 10,000 kg/ ha
– Fertilizers – Urea, single super phosphate
 Stocking

• Size and density (1.5-2.0 lac fries/ha)

• Pond water analysis

• Time of stocking

• Release
 Post stocking Practices
• Maintenance of water level ( 1 m minimum)
• Regular manuring and fertilization
• Supplementary feeding (5-10% body weight)
• Duration of rearing (attainment of desired size
80 – 100 mm)
• Sampling every month
• Harvesting