Pangasius spp is commonly called as river or silver stripped catfish, Siamese shark, sutchi catfish, or swai catfish. This fish species live in freshwater & endemic to the Mekong basin. It is a riverine catfish belonging to the members of the relatives Pangasidae. It exhibits speedy growth when cultured given a lovely environment.
It is cultured due to its strong market demand, speedy grower, few countries dominate the culture production, & being the 3rd most important freshwater fish group within aquaculture sector. Pangasius is now cultured in several countries in the world like Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Maynmar, Indonesia, & Cambodia.
Common Cultured Pangasius:
Pangasius is an air-breathing fish that can tolerate low Dissolve Oxygen (DO) of the water. It can be cultured in fishponds, concrete tanks, fish cages or fish pens.
Site Selection
* Scientific name: Pangasius hypophthalm. English name: Sutchi river catfish.
* Scientific name: Pangasius bocourti. English name: Bocourts catfish
Size of Culture Technique Pond
1. Efficient source of water
2. Free from pollution
3. Free from any disturbance
4. Free from poachers
5. Source of electricity
1. The ideal pond compartment is 1,600 to 2,400 sqm.
2. The ideal water depth is 1.5-2 meters.
Cage
1. The ideal size is 10×10 meters.
2. The ideal depth is 5 meters.
3. Stocking density is 15-50/m3
Pond Preparation & Management – Pond preparation is the same as general preparation for fish ponds.
Projected Cost & Return
1. Draining & sun drying. Sundry the pond until the pond bottom cracks to eliminate unwanted fish species & condition the pond.
2. Repairing of dikes & gates. Dikes & gates should be repaired to avoid entry of other fish & escape of stocks.
3. Eliminating predators. Predatory fish species should be eliminated to promote better yield & harvest.
4. Liming. Liming is completed primarily to condition pond soil, since Pangasius spp. can tolerate pH ranging from Q.5-7.5.
5. Filling of water. Fill the pond with water to about 1.5m to 2m deep, to provide a wide environment for the stocks.
6. Stocking/stocking density. Pangasius spp. can be stocked at a rate of 3-15 pcs/m2 depending on the culture environment. Stocking should be completed early morning or late afternoon. Survival rate of Pangasius spp. is estimated to be 80-90%.
7. Feeding/feeding management. Pangasius can be fed with kitchen waste, rice bran or pelleted feeds (recommended for faster growth & better fish quality) at a rate of 2.5% of their average body weight (ABW) & will be adjusted bi-weekly. Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) averages to 1.5:1, which makes it a suitable for culture. Pangasius is omnivorous (eat both plants & animals) during their first year & become herbivorous for the following years.
8. Water management. Water is important for all fish, so optimum conditions for sure parameters of water should be the primary factor to consider in engaging to fish culture. Water quality parameters like pH (6.5-7.5), Dissolve Oxygen (DO) (0.1 mg/l), Temperature (25-30° C), Salinity (<2 ppt) & water depth (1.5-2m). These should be maintained to receive a better yield for the culture of Pangasius spp. Pangasius spp. is an air breathing fish thus, they don’t need to have a much higher DO in the water column.
9. Sampling. Sampling is completed to monitor the growth of stocks & to compute feeds to be given to the stocks for the following days. This is also completed to see if the stock reaches its marketable/harvestable size. Since Pangasius spp. is speedy grower fish, sampling is mandatory.
10. Harvesting. Harvesting can be completed in partial (selective harvesting) or total harvesting. Pangasius spp. can be harvested for about 5-6 months of culture period. It can reach the weight of 1-1.5 kilogram in 5-6 months of culture given the proper pond management.
* Stocking rate: 5 per sqm
* Stocking area: 2,000 sqm
* Survival rate: 85%
* Culture period: 6 months
* Target ABW: 1,000 grams
* FCR: 1.5
Commodity Quantity Total Cost (Php)
Fingerlings (5cm)
Feeds
Lime
Diesel
Electricity
Caretaker’s Salary
Miscellaneous 10,000 pcs
510 bags
50 kg
50 liters
6 months
6 months
5% of total cost
Total: P344,190.00
25,000
280,500
500
2,000
1,800
18,000
16,390
* Expected harvest: 8,500 kg
* Expected farm gate price: P50
* Total gross sales: P425,000
* Less cost: P344,190
* Net Income: P80,810
Economic Indicators
Feeds:
1. TATEH Feed Company
2. Vitarich Corporation
3. Feedrnix
4. Feed World
1. Ace Feeds
2. TGA Foods
3. A& L Fishpond & Hatchery Inc
4. Angel, Famous Gourmet Food Corp (Telefax: (045) 626-2235)
Processors:
Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR)
San Fernando, Pampanga
Tel: (045) 455-0878, Fax: (045) 455-0823
Email: bfar3@pldtdsl.net, bfar3@yahoo.com
For more information, contact:
Breeders/Fingerlings:
Bluebay Aqua farm
Suite 105 West City Plaza.
#66 West Ave, Q.C.
Phone: 374-7542
Vitarich Corp. (www.vitarich.com.ph)
Phone: (02) 843-3033
Email: iuc@2007.vitarich.com
A & L Fishpond & Hatchery Inc
Phone: 930-3520, 0917-5396019
Console Farms Corp.
2 Samat St., SMH, Quezon City
Phone: 731-1842/7529
Telefax: (02) 731-6186