Author(s): E. Sugumaran and M.V. Radhakrishnan

Abstract: The present investigation has been conducted to understand the effect of sugarcane bagasse an artificial substrate on length weight relationship of Clarias batrachus for a period of 120 days. Sugarcane bagasse bundles (Length 50 cm; diameter 4cm) of 5 kg were hung in large cement tanks (5x5x1 m) with 15 cm soil base with well water in 6 of the 9 tanks randomly at the rate of 5 kg each, by suspending the bundles at regular distances from bamboo poles kept across the tanks. Fingerlings of Clarias batrachus (Av. Length 2.5 cm; Av. Weight. 3.18 g) were stocked at 40 per tank, two weeks after the addition of manure and substrate. No feed was provided to the fish in 3 of the substrate-added tanks (T1), while a pelleted diet was fed to the fish in the remaining 3 substrate-added tanks (T2) and the other 3 tanks without substrate (T3). The length and weight of individual fish in each tank were measured at the start and every 15 days to monitor growth response. The parameters showed a significant response and high value in bagasse and supplemental feed group (T2) followed by without substrate (T3) and sugarcane bagasse alone group (T1). These results showed that sugarcane bagasse can effectively be use as a substrate for the culture of the catfish Clarias batrachus.

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