GOURAMI PRODUCTION GUIDE

Gourami is a fish not popular in many people, maybe because it is almost a bony fish with little flesh on it. But it has taste acceptable to some especially if it is fried.   

Crossbreed gourami was much bigger and tastier compared to native breed. They are being cultured commercially. The native species were found in rivers and streams.

The cultured gourami is bigger in size and can reach over 2 kilograms. It has not been raised in many fish farms because it grow so slow not suitable for commercial production. The slower they grow the bigger the cost of raising them.

The only benefit is that it can easily adapt to any kind of environment. They can be raised even in rice field as long as there is enough water to live with. They grow in man-made pond even in tanks.

In raising gourami in pond, it should have higher dike level to protect them from getting away. A pond of 5 meters wide will do with recommended deepness to store water. It should have water source ready in case the water level of the pond reduces to the required height. It is better if the man-made pond is near the river easy to irrigate the pond if the need arises.

To aid the fish of their food requirements, the pond can be planted with floating weeds. The best plants are water lily or water hyacinth that will invite flying insects. Other insects and tiny organisms are favorite foods of the fish.

A pair of male and female gourami with the size of 160 grams is enough to be breeder in the small breeding tank. One breeder can raise many thousands of fingerling (fry). The fry are then transferred to rearing pond until they are ready for harvest if the size reaches 100 grams. The duration of rearing time is about 7 months.

Gourami fry are feed on small plants and plankton found in the water. Regularly, the fry or adults are feed with fish meal and other food residue.

In order to raise many organisms in the pond, the application of organic fertilizer (animal manure) will create activities in the pond. In addition to giving them supplemental feeding (rice bran), it can support thousands population of gourami fry until adulthood. The rate of application is 16 kilos of organic fertilizer per hectare per day for 2 months.

A one hectare pond is ideal for commercial production to be able to have better harvest in marketable size of adult gourami.

It is a must that the fry are raised separately from the breeder to avoid cannibalism of its own kind. The survival rate of the fry will depend on how the fishpond owners make the necessary control against many kinds of predators around the pond especially during the early days of their growth.

MUDFISH BREEDING GUIDE

A mudfish (Channa striata) can be found in swamps, mangrove, rivers, rice fields and lakes. It spawns throughout the year growing from 10 to 37 cm in length. The fish matures sexually when it reaches 24 centimeters. It is a native fish used for food. It has a supra-pharyngeal organs capable for air-breathing.

It can be breed locally. A concrete tank with the measurement of 4x2x2 meters is the ideal size of the tank. The breeding fish should at least 30 centimeters weighing 400 grams or greater (both male and female). A female has a wide girth. Prior to spawning, feed it with small fish or earthworms for the period of 2 weeks before spawning period at the water depth of .03 meters. During spawning it should be increase into .06 meters.

Most often the fish spawn in the early morning. She will spawn at the side or near the surface of the tank. The male and female fish will slowly swim around its other where the male coils around the female for the release of eggs which are to be fertilized. A male breeder can release more or less 5,500 eggs immediately. If the male breeder is large enough then he can make more at one single release of eggs.

The eggs has oil globules in order to float the eggs to the surface of the water. Hatching be done within 3 days. The fry can swim within 5 days. The fry can be feed on zooplankton, rotifiers and copepods, earthworms, maggots or other live feeds. the recommended market size of fingerlings is up to 250 grams. Continues feeding be done by using fine rice bran and ground trash.

Mudfish should be given enough feeds daily to avoid become a predator by feeding on its own kind. To avoid cannibalistic attitude, sorting should be done by sizes regularly. Those with smaller size, should be segregated and put in a separate tank. Same sizes should be grown together.

The disease of mudfish is caused by fungal infection. It can be controlled by maintaining good water quality in the tank. Any diseased fingerlings should be taken out from them.

After reaching the recommended market size,it will be sold live to wet market. Mudfish can survive without water for the maximum of one day. It only need their body to keep moist. Others put the fish in an aquarium big enough to accommodate them to keep them fresh and alive for buyers.

This fish can be cook, roasted, dried and salted. It is a delicacy if cooked with coconut.