Researches concerning the breeding of Cyprinus carpio carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) species, in high densities in small spaces, using

mixed fodders like farinaceous and grained type

Introduction The scientific researches and the practices have proved that the breeding rates and the weight gain claimed by the big productions of carp per surface unit cannot be achieved unless it is applied a dense population and a rationalized additional food, which qualitative supply should be at least equivalent with the one brought by the organisms with trophic role from the natural environment. Our researches and experiences carried on over the years, on the different problems raised by the culture carp food and the results obtained in the respective period are presented in this paper. The culture carps food regime submitted to an accelerated rate of breeding and feeding must follow very close the physiological processes of the nutrition phenomena in the nurserys intensive rate of exploitation and of the additional food capitalization. In the fodder regime, the experiences performed have showed that, unlike the natural food regime, there is a difference concerning the carps preference. However, for the dense populations, the abundance, the quality and the best conditions of using the additional food, as well as the waters quality from the ponds, the size and quality of the supply flows must be carefully analyzed. Material and method The one summer-aged fish breeding experiences took place in two basins from the Base no. 1-Nucet, at C.C.D.P.-Nucet, together having a 2000m surface, each basin having 1000m (Exp1 and Exp2).

Picture 1

Both basins are alike in shape (rectangular), surface and depth, supplying the same conditions of breeding (picture 1). The experimental basins are supplied with gravitational water from a channel, which water comes from Ilfoveni Barrier Lake, placed at a few hundred meters, upstream. The average depth of the experimental basins is of 1.6 m, each being provided with a supply and delivery system. From this short presentation, it can be seen that the two experimental basins have presented almost identical conditions of life for the fishy population.

In the period before the population, repair and maintenance works have been performed at the water supply and delivery channels, at the dams and at the hydro-technical systems, the aquatic growth from the basins being removed. Subsequently, on the basins surfaces have been equally distributed soil liming lime, in quantity of 100 kg/basin. The basins flooding has been performed through a sieve with 1 mm mesh, in order to prevent the wild fish larvae entering. The breeding experiment in the 2nd summer took place in two variants: variant I of breeding in fodder regime, using mixed fodders in Exp 1 Nucet; variant II of breeding, in fodder regime, using grained fodders in Exp 2 Nucet. The basins population The basins population in both breeding variants took place in the April 15, period, as follows: Exp1 has populated with 3000 ex, with the average weight of 85.6g/ex;. Exp2 s has populated with 3000 ex, with the average weight of 86.1g/ex. Evaluation of the environment conditions In order to evaluate the ecological conditions in the two experimental basins, during MaySeptember period, water and soil samples have been taken in order to determine the hydrochemical parameters. The fish production mostly depends on the waters physical and chemical quality. At the intensive increase, the suited parameters are the following: the temperature, the dissolved oxygen, the pH, the content in essential mineral elements, turbidity and color. The experimental basins are supplied with water from the same supply channel, which comes from Ilfov River. The monitoring of these parameters has been performed as follows: The waters temperature has been measured daily: in the morning, at noon and in the evening, with a mercury thermometer, and in the experimental basins it has been between 17-27C. During June-August interval, the waters temperature has been favorable (22-27C) to the fishy activity, and in May and September, there have been lower temperatures of 17-21C. The dissolved oxygen has been measured daily, in the first hours of the morning, before the sunrise, using Oxi-Guard portable oxygen meters and it has registered the best values during the studied period of 5.5-9.6mg/l, as well as the pH values of 7.2-8.5. The turbidity has been measured with the help of the Secchi disk and it had values between 15 and 30 cm. The other parameters, pH, alkalinity, hardness have been weekly analyzed. They are determined following the laboratory based on the water samples. The materials foddering Starting from the practical realities in the culture carp foddering in the systematical carp breeding, we have used as research material one summer-aged carp populations, having as result the following up the rhythm of breeding as a consequence of distributing the fodders different in form and content and of reducing the period of breeding from three to two summers. In the variant I - (Exp1 basin), the feeding of the material has been performed with a mixed fodder, farinaceous type, with gross protein of 24% and having the following ingredients: corn, wheat, barley, sunflower grist, soya grist, fish flour. In the variant II - (Exp 2 basin), the feeding of the material has been performed with a grained fodder Aller classical 3mm, with the following chemical composition: fish flour, soya grist, blood flour, rape, wheat, fish oil and vegetal oil. The fodders biochemical characteristics have been as follows: protein 30 %, fat 7.0%, NFE 43 %, cellulose 5 %, ash

7.0 %, ureaze active 0.3 %, and as minerals Ca and P. The fodder also contains the vitamins: A, D3 and E. In order to follow up the rhythm of breeding and the sanitary state of the fishy material, control fishing was performed monthly. Based on the results obtained, the portions of fodders have been re-dimensioned. The feeding of the fishy material in the experimental basins (Exp 1 and Exp 2) has started on 08.05., in the first week the daily portion being of almost 5% of the fishy material weight. After the first week, the portion was gradually increased, based on the capacity of consumption of the populated material. The distribution of the fodders has been performed twice a day, at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm., during the entire period of foddering. In variant I, the fodder has been administered manually, wet, as flours, and in variant II, being a grained fodder, it has been administered as such. At the manual foddering, we recommend the system of administering at the foddering meals, because it presents more advantages: The administration on a smaller surface of a big quantity of fodders leads to less losses by spreading the left overs; The control of the fodders consomption is much easier, having the place of administering them exactly marked; During the meal, the fish is concentrated on small surfaces and this thing allows us to perform some disinfestations treatments only in these places, with a diminished consumption of substances and thus, with less expenses; The fish concentration allows the performance of observations on the behavior, the general state of health and the increase of corporal mass. Results and discussions In the experimental basins, the survival was of 92% in variant I and of 96% in variant II, which constitutes a good survival in proportion to the obtained production (2692036520kg/ha). The individual breeding of the fishy material in the experimental basins in high densities depends on the quantity and quality of the administered food, the natural one being insignificant. The feeding of the fishy material has been made until 15.10., in total 160 days, and the total quantity of fodder distributed on months, for the entire period of feeding, is presented in Table no. 1.
Table no. 1 Fodders distribution on months

Month Basin Exp 1 [variant I] Exp 2 [variant II]

May 460 575

June 750 1050

July 1240 1395

August 1390 1550

Sept. 920 1050

October. Total 235 380 5000 6000

Thus, in variant I of breeding, where the feeding of the material has been made with fodder as flours, it is observed an average weight at the end of the season of breeding of 975g/ex., with a conversion coefficient of 2.05, in comparison with variant II, when the average weight is of 1268g/ex., and the conversion coefficient is of 1.76. The differences are visible and can be explained by the fact that, at variant I, the food losses have been considerable by the fodder dispersion in the water mass, but also by a more complete combination and not lastly by a higher protein variant II.

The dynamic of the fishy material, at the two experimental basins, is presented at the graphic no. 1.
1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 May June July August Sept. Oct. Variant I Variant II

Graphic no. 1

The dynamic of the materials breeding registered after the control fishing

The results registered at the crop fish that started on 30.10. are registered in Table no. 2.
Table no. 2 The results obtained at the end on the breeding season

Population Basin Exp1 (variant I) Exp2 (variant II)

No. ex. Average weight [g] Qty. [kg]

Sv. [%]

Production
No. ex. Average weight [g] Qty. [kg]

Fodders
Qty. [kg] K

3000 3000

86,5 83,8

259,5 251,4

92 96

2760 2880

975 1268

2692 3652

5000 6000

2,05 1,76

The sanitary state of the fishy material in the two experimental basins was good, in general, during the entire breeding period. We specify that, at the first control fishing, it was signaled the presence of the ectoparasites Lernaea sp. (the power of the infestation being weak, 1-2 parasites/ex.) and Dactylogyrus sp. At the second control fishing, the ectoprasite Lernaea sp. was met only at the degree of signaling and for Dactylogyrus sp. the situation was remedied by washing the fish with an Na chloride solution, 25-30g/l, time of exposure: 5 min. The breeding differences between the two experimental basins can be observed also in the following pictures (picture 2 and picture 3):

Picture 2 and 3. Carp at the crop fishing

Conclusions The technology of breeding the culture carp, in high densities, in ground basins of small dimensions, is appropriate to the current requirements for the production of fish with high economical value, the carp being the traditional species of the Romanian fishing; By elaborating the breeding experiences, you can see that the species that we have experimented (Cyprinus carpio) has an intense rhythm of breeding when the food is of high quality and the life conditions are the best. Through the results obtained in this experiment, we can ascertain that, in the case of obtaining a qualitative spawn in the 1st summer, in the next year we shall obtain a fish material that can be delivered on the market at the required dimensions. The main technical problems that have been taken into consideration when exploiting the basins of small dimensions for the breeding of the carp were in connection with the assurance of the flows of water necessary for obtaining the best conditions, concerning the content in oxygen and the nitrogen compounds. The supply flow has assured a complete change of the water volume from the system, every 24 hours.