POLYCULTURE

Fish pond is a complex ecosystem. It in habits phytoplankton and zoo plankton

on its surface (Epilimnion); various types of aquatic organism and the carcass of
the dead in the column water (thermocline or metalimnion); detritus and
decaying organic material in the bottom (hypolimnion). Different types of aquatic
plants are seen all along the margin of the pond. Maximum exploitation of the
food and aquatic resources available in such a pond through the introduction of
selected varieties of compatible fish having different feeding habits to achieve
high productivity is called composite fish culture or polyculture or mixed fish
culture or Balanced fish population.
Advantages of Polyculture
1.

Maximum utilization of the resources available.

2.

Different stages of the same fish sp. Can be introduced and cultured when
the natural feed available and its density are in plenty. This facilities high
productivity.

3.

As the productivity and yield are more, profitability from such a culture
us highly encouraging.

4.

Fishes selected must be highly compatible with different feeding habits.

5.

Market demand and nutritional values are also to be taken into

consideration during the fish selection.

6.

Tolerance with the other living and non living organism of the pond by
the fish to be selected for composite fish culture should never be over
looked.

7.

Selected fish should be able to live at different depths of the pond besides
the variation in their feeding habits. This prevent competition among the
organisms inhabiting the same ecological niche.

8.

Stocking density of the fish fry and fingerlings to be introduced into a

pond of one hectare must be carefully decided. Generally500010,000
fingerlings are introduced into a pond of one hectare water area. Factors
like fertility capacity, feeding level, availability of the fingerlings,
maintenance capacity of the pond, knowledge about fish culture etc. Play
an important role. Accordingly ,the stocking density is to be calculated.

9.

Knowledge about the availability of natural feed and supplementary feed

to be provided for achieving high yield is very much essential.

10.

Informationabout the physic-chemical factors influencing the growth of

fish should be known to the concerned farmer. He should prepare the
pond for fish culture well before the introduction of the selected species
for achieving increased productivity

11.

By knowing the initial and final densities of the fish(by weight),one can
estimate the yield. This facilitates the farmer to analyse the pitfalls and
steps to be adopted for increasing the yield in subsequent crops.

Polyculture

Ratios to be maintained between the organisms in Polyculture

Composite fish culture has been in practice in our country since ancient times. It
has become a regular traditional practice to out farmers. Still following ratios
arsuffested by the scientists of this field to achieve enhanced productivity.
Alikunhi et al proposed the ratio of 3:3:4 between Catla (surface feeder),Labeo
(column feeder) and mrigal (botton dweller),
Horaandpillai(1962)proposed a ratio of3:6:1:or3:5:1 for the above fishes in
polyculture technique. They also suggested the introduction of Labeo calbasu a
bottom dweller in addition to Mrigalas their feeding habits are total different.
Researchers conducted at Cuttack held the ratio to be 5:3; 3:6, 8:2:3 for the fishes
like grass carp, silver carp, Catla, Rohu, Scale fish, mirror carp and lapia.
Combined efforts of CIFRI(Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute) and
ICAR(Imdian Council forAgricultural Research) resulted in the proposal of
following ratios to achieve high yield in short time.
5:3:8:2 Grass carp, silver carp, Catla, Rohu, Scale carp and mirror carp.
5:3:6:8:2-Gras carp, silver carp, Catla, Rohu, scale fish & mirror carp.
5:3:3:6:8:2Grasscarp,silvercarp,Catla,Rohu,Scalefish&mirror Carp.

Fresh water prawn feeding on detritus and cat fishes, murrels of predatory nature
can also be introduced after attaining a specified growth by the main food fishes.
These organisms also grow along with the food fishes by feeding upon
Organic detritus and trash fish of the pond. These canal so becollected and sent to
the market for disposal as they are also relished as food by some people of the
society. They provide additional income to the farmer.

Details of the fishes selected for Ployculture

a. Fishes inhabiting surface waters (Epilimnion):
i. CatlaCatla (botche)feeds on zooplankton and organic materials.
ii. Hypophthalmichtys (Silver Carp) feeds on phytoplankton.
b. Fishes inhabiting the bottom waters (Hypolimnion)
Fig Fish selected for Polyculture

i. Cirrhinus mrigala (mrigal) and Laneo calbasu (calbasu) feed on the plankton
living over submerged vegetation.
ii. Ctenopharyngodon (grass carp) lives in waters where no other fish can live
and feeds on the available feed of its surroundings. Excretory materials of these
fish form feed for carpio and also promotes the growth and development of other
planktonic organisms.
iii. Incountries like Europe and U.S.S.R. ,Tench fish are cultured long with carps.
By feeding on the detritus, carcass of the dead and plankton of the submerged
vegetation ,they promote the growth of
main carps.

Trout fish and tilapia feeds quickly upon trash fish and promote the productivity
of food carps.
In china, fish selected for composite fish culture are black carp
(Myelopharyngodon pisceous feeding on the smails of the bottom), grass carp
(ctenopharyngodon feeding on plant materials), silver carp (hypophthalmichthys
feeding on phyto and zooplankton), large beaded fish (Aristichthys nobilis
feeding on macro plankton), common carp (cyprinus carpio feeding on the left
overs of mrigal)etc.
vi. InTaiwan,Mugilcephalusisculturedinassociationwithmaincarps.
SUPPLEMENTRY FEED IN THE COMPOSITE CULTURE
As the main carps feed upon available food, density of the natural feed decreases
slowlythus demanding the introduction of supplementaryfeed.
Fish feed is prepared from ground nut cake and rice barn (or) cake barn, kitchen
waste, vegetable waste(or)protein rich pupae of the silkworms or soya bean or
notonectid insects or prawn wastes or trash fish along with required quantities of
B-complex-vitamins. Yeast, cobalt chloride sufficient nutrients to the main
carps to grow quick and yield high.
Hydrilla, Najasm Ceratophyllum, Chara, Napier Grass, Tapioca leaves, Kitchen
Vegetables refuge etc. can be given as supplementary feed to grass carps.
Details of the yield from Polyculture
8-9 fold increase in the yield is achieved fromcomposite fish culture as supported
bythe following data.
According to the research by CIFRI (1968) annual yield from a pond was
recorded at
With main carps alone 2088 kg/ha
With exotic carps alone 2900 kg/ha
Withmain and exotic carps through composite fish culture 3085 kg/ hxa.

CIFRI (Cuttack) recorded an annual yield of 9000, kg/ha/year from large tanks
under composite culture.

Data obtained in1971byICARunitsinAndhraPradesh,Haryana, Maharashtra,

Tamilnadu, uttar Pradesh and West Bengal revealed the

half-yearly productivity under composite fish culture at 2692kg 3210 kg/ha

(Simla 1973). Productivity recorded in the tanks of Karnalin Haryana Yield for 6
months 3448-5894 kg/ha. Yield for 8 months -6191 7332 kg/ha. (Sukumaran
-1976) Grass carp gains a weight of 3 kg in one year under composite culture
method and contributed 30 % of the total yield.