Nursery rearing of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) in indoor cement tanks by using artificial diet

Seabass has been reared in brackish as well as freshwater ponds and marine cages in south-east Asian countries. High mortality is often encountered when uneven sizes of the fish are stocked. The rearing seabass fry by using artificial feed in indoor cement tanks carried out for 60 days at wadamirya hatchery. The fishes were stocked at density of 650 fish per m3 in ten cement tanks (size 2 X 1 X 1 m) and fed with artificial fish feed (48% protein) at 10% of the body weight divided into four equal rations. Water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, ammonia and nitrite were maintained during rearing period. The growth performance was evaluated based on fish survival and growth parameters as Percent Survival (%), Specific growth rate (SGR), Protein efficiency ratio (PER) and Feed conversion ratio (FCR).