AD21 - On Farm Fish Culture

Agrodok 21
On-farm fish culture
Aldin Hilbrands
Carl Yzerman
Agromisa Foundation, Wageningen, 2004.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photocopy,
microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the publisher.
First edition: 1998
second edition: 2004
Authors: Aldin Hilbrands, Carl Yzerman
Design: Janneke Reijnders
Translation: Sara van Otterloo-Butler
Printed by: Digigrafi, Wageningen, the Netherlands
ISBN: 90-7707-344-2
NUGI: 835
Foreword
This Agrodok is about integrating fish culture on the farm, an important form of small-scale sustainable agriculture in tropical areas. The
system can be built up in stages until an optimally integrated production system is achieved, based on the inputs available on the farm. The
information in this book is designed to help with the first steps, and
has been made as practical as possible. Please bear in mind, however,
that production figures given are dependent on local conditions, and
therefore can only give an indication of the possibilities.
The illustrations of water plants in this Agrodok were made available
by the Information Office of the University of Florida, IFAS, Center
for Aquatic Plants, Gainesville, USA. The other illustrations were
adapted by the Agromisa Illustration Group. We would like to thank
Dr A.A. van Dam and Dr M.C.J. Verdegem from the Department of
Fish Culture and Fisheries at the Wageningen Agricultural University
for their guidance.
We welcome additional information concerning the contents of this
book.
Wageningen, January 1997
W.G. van de Poll
Co-ordinating editor
Foreword
Contents
1
Introduction
2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
Principles of integrated fish culture

The biology of a fish pond
Water quality
Management of fertilizer application
Fertilizing the bottom of the pond
Plant by-products and animal manure
Choice of fish species
Food supplements for fish
8
8
9
10
11
13
13
14
3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

Introduction
Composting
Land plants
Water plants
Nutritional value of plants
15
15
15
17
19
23
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
Integrated rice and fish culture

Introduction
The biology of a rice field
Suitability of a field for fish culture
Releasing the fish
Fertilizing and feeding
Fish yields
Other integrated fish-rice culture systems
25
25
26
29
36
39
40
41
42
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
Integrating animal production with fish culture

Animal manure
Integrating fish culture with pig raising
Integrating fish culture with chickens
Integrating fish culture with ducks and geese
44
44
45
48
50
5.5
Integrating fish culture with other farm animals
54
Appendix 1: Fish species
56
Appendix 2: Water plants as fish food
57
Appendix 3: Grasses as fish food
58
Appendix 4: Plant crops as fish food
59
Appendix 5: Production figures
60
Appendix 6: Latin names

Fish species
Plant species
Others
62
62
62
63
Further reading
64
Useful addresses
67
Contents
Introduction
Advantages of integrating fish farming

This Agrodok describes how you can integrate fish culture with crop
and animal production on a farm. This book follows on from Agrodok
No.15 'Small-scale freshwater fish farming', which describes in detail
the basic principles of raising fish and building a fish pond.
Once agricultural activities on a farm have been diversified integration
can be the next step. A farmer can diversify by raising different kinds
of crops or animals. The different activities become integrated when
the waste products from one activity are used for the production of
another crop or animal. For example, animal dung can be used to improve the fertility of the soil, which will increase plant growth. Animal
dung can also be used as a fertilizer in a fish pond to increase fish
production. By using these methods production on an integrated farm
will be higher than on a farm where activities are carried out separately. Production costs can be kept low by using the by- products (e.g.
stalks and leaves) from the different activities on the farm for fish culture. These by-products form an inexpensive way of making fish feed,
which is cheaper than having to buy feed.
The advantages of integrated farming include:

? Minimizing of waste products, which improves the local environment.
? Decreased need for artificial fertilizers, which can increase profits
by decreased production costs.
? Increased fish and vegetable production, which can increase household consumption or income.
? Decreased dependence on production inputs from outside the farm,
which increases the stability of the farm.
? Increased productivity and efficiency on the farm.
The most important of the above advantages is the decrease in waste
products. Improved soil structure, through the use of pond bottom silt
in agriculture as fertilizer, means that water is better retained and less
erosion takes place. These long-term advantages outweigh any others

which lead only to an increase in fish production.
The advantages of integrated fish culture mentioned here give a general indication of what can be achieved. Production methods and
yields depend on local conditions. For example, farmers in Malawi,
Africa adjust their integrated plant-fish culture system each year according to the amount of rainfall. In dry years the farmers grow vegetables on the pond bottom as there is not enough water to raise fish.
The vegetables grow well on the fertile soil at the bottom of the pond,
and suffer less from the drought.
Both plant and animal by-products can be used as fertilizer for a pond
on an integrated fish farm. Applying natural fertilizer increases the
amount of food available in the pond, so that the fish need less direct
feeding. The basic principles of integrated fish culture are outlined in
Chapter 2.
Some fish can be fed directly with plant waste. For other sorts the
waste must first be made into compost. The compost is then used as a
fertilizer in the pond, which increases the amount of natural food
available, in turn resulting in an increase in fish production. Chapter 3
describes how plant waste can be used in a fish pond.
Chapter 4 describes a special system of integrated plant-fish production: integrated rice-fish production. This production system is used
commonly in Asia and can be practiced both extensively and intensively according to the local situation.
Animal dung can be used as fish food for some fish species, or alternatively as fertilizer for the fish pond. There are various systems in
which fish production can be integrated with other forms of animal
production e.g. ducks or pigs. Whether fish production can be integrated with other forms of production depends on the local production
and marketing conditions. The soil must be suitable for making a fish
pond, and suitable fish species must be available. Chapter 5 describes
the use of animal dung in fish production.
In this book the common names are used of fish and plant species. In
Appendix 6 is a list given of the Latin names.
Introduction
Principles of integrated fish

culture
2.1
The biology of a fish pond
Fish are not the only organisms living in the water of a pond. Food for
the fish also grows naturally in a pond. The naturally occurring food
sources include very small plants (algae or phytoplankton) and very
small animals (zooplankton) (figure 1). Both these sorts are too small
to see with the naked eye. If a large amount of algae is present, the
water will have a green colour.
Figure 1: Naturally occurring fish food seen through a magnifying

glass (Edwards & Kaewpaitoon, 1984).
Water plants are larger plants, which can be seen with the naked eye,
and grow in the fish pond all the year round. Some grow on the bottom of the pond, some in the water and others float on the surface of
the pond. Some fish species eat water plants.
The water in a pond must be of good quality so that the fish will be
healthy and grow well. In order to grow, fish need oxygen. This is
produced mainly by the algae floating in the water, which makes the
water green in colour. Climate is important as it determines the temperature of the water in the pond. The higher the water temperature the
faster the algae and zooplankton grow. However, most tropical algae,
zooplankton and fish species grow fastest at a water temperature between 25 and 30C.
2.2
Water quality
The two most important factors which determine the quality of the
water are the temperature of the water and the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water. The plants in the pond (especially algae) produce
oxygen with the help of sunlight, some of this oxygen they use themselves. The more sunlight the pond receives the higher the oxygen
production.
When it is dark no oxygen is produced by plants as there is no
sunlight. As oxygen continues to be used by all living organisms in the
pond water, however, the amount of oxygen in the water decreases
during the night. In the early morning the amount of oxygen in the
water is at its lowest level, as fish, algae and zooplankton have been
using oxygen all night, and no oxygen production has taken place.
The oxygen content of the water is usually highest at the end of the
afternoon, as oxygen is produced throughout daylight hours.
Climate also influences the oxygen content of the water. The amount
of oxygen in the water depends on the temperature of the water. Less
oxygen can dissolve in warm water than in cold water. However, fish
need more oxygen in warm water as they are more active. The optimal
temperature varies depending on the fish species but the average is
between 25 and 30C.
Algae produce less oxygen in cloudy weather, as less sunlight falls on
the water. Windy conditions lead to a rise in oxygen content as more
air mixes with the water.
Fertilizer application has a large influence on the oxygen content and

the living conditions of the fish in a pond. Too much fertilizer can lead
to an oxygen shortage which will result in fish dying.
Good fertilizer practice is very important. See the following paragraph.
2.3
Management of fertilizer application
Good fertilizer practice is important to maintain water quality and to

maintain a good amount of naturally occurring fish food available in
the water. The amount of fertilizer added to the water depends on the
number of fish in the pond. If too little fertilizer is put in less natural
food will grow and less fish will be produced. Putting in too much
fertilizer or fertilizing irregularly can lead to oxygen shortage and fish
will die.
If a pond is fertilized regularly, the amount of fertilizer it can absorb
will increase over time. More fish will be produced without a decrease
in oxygen content occurring. Fertilizer should be applied at least once
a week, and it is best to do this every day. A well managed and fertilized pond can sustain 3 kg fish per 100 m per day. In practice this
amount is usually lower because there is not enough water or there are
too few fish. Sometimes the weather conditions are not favourable,
and time is also needed to harvest the fish and to drain the pond.
Good fertilizer is animal dung or composted plant material. It is important to spread the fertilizer evenly over the pond. If too much is put
in one place it will decompose without bacteria. If this happens, then
little natural food will be produced in the pond. One way of ensuring
that the fertilizer is evenly spread is house the animals directly above
or in the pond. For example, ducks can swim in the pond. It is easier
to spread fertilizer from animals on the banks of the pond by mixing it
with water first. Chapter 5 gives information on how many animals
can be kept per pond.
We mentioned above that spreading fertilizer influences the oxygen
content of the pond water. As the amount of oxygen in the water goes
up and down over a day the time at which fertilizer is spread is also
important. It is best to spread fertilizer over a pond when oxygen pro-
10
duction is at its highest. The end of the morning is therefore the best
time to add fertilizer to the pond.
The organisms in the pond water which break down plant and animal
waste need oxygen. The process of breaking down the waste products
releases many nutrients, which are used by the algae to grow. The algae in their turn produce oxygen.
However, if there are too many algae in a pond (water colour is dark
green) the algae use too much oxygen during the night so the fish and
zooplankton will die due to a lack of oxygen in the early morning. If
too much fertilizer is spread, too much oxygen may be used by the
waste processors to break down the fertilizer. This will also lead to an
oxygen shortage for the fish, and they may die.
To sum up, there is an optimum
amount of fertilizer which a
pond requires whereby the algae produce enough oxygen
and whereby there are no fish
gasping at the surface for oxygen at sunrise (figure 2). Other
signs of too little oxygen in the
water include many air bubbles Figure 2: When a pond receives
rising to the surface, brown or too much fertilizer you will often
grey water colour and a strong see fish gasping for oxygen at the
unpleasant smell to the water.
surface in the early morning.
When the correct amount of
fertilizer is added the water turns green (mid green, between light and
dark green) as a result of the algae. It is easy to check whether the
pond is receiving the right amount of fertilizer by putting your arm in
the water up to the elbow (figure 3).
2.4
Fertilizing the bottom of the pond
Fertilizer can be applied to the bottom of the pond before filling the
pond with water. Tiny plant and animal organisms in the soil break
down the fertilizer. When the pond is filled, the nutrients available
11
from the fertilizer are taken up by the water. These nutrients form food
for the algae and zooplankton, which in turn are eaten by the fish.
Figure 3: Checking the amount of fertilizer using the lower arm.
Plant material can also be used as fertilizer in or on the pond bottom

when preparing a pond for fish. Barnyard grass is a good example.
Sow between 7.5 and 10 kg of seed per 100 m on the pond bottom.
After 45-60 days growth fill the pond with water and let the grass rot
for 7-10 days. Nutrients are then released upon which the algae and
12
zooplankton can feed. This method is used a lot in nursery ponds for
small fish whose main source of food is zooplankton. After the fish
have been harvested, and before the pond is refilled, the bottom will
not need fertilizing if the sludge layer is not removed. This sludge is
made up of organic material from fish manure and uneaten fish food
which has sunk to the bottom of the pond.
2.5
Plant by-products and animal manure
Plant material (by-products and waste) can be used directly as fish

food. If you are not raising plant eating fish it is better to compost
plant material first and then use it as fertilizer. Another alternative is to
feed the plant material to animals and then use the animal manure as
fertilizer for the fish pond. It is often difficult to determine where the
border lies between feed and fertilizer as many agricultural byproducts can be used for both.
Animal manure can be used as fertilizer and also directly as fish food
for some fish species such as the silver striped Catfish and Nile Tilapia. Poultry manure makes better fish food than other species of animal manure because it contains a large amount of bacteria. Most animal manure is used indirectly by fish, as algae first break down the
manure for their own growth. Zooplankton feeds on algae, and fish eat
both zooplankton and algae. However, not all fish species eat algae
and/or zooplankton (Appendix 1).
2.6
Because different species of fish eat different types of food it is possible to raise a number of different fish species in one pond. This makes
better use of the different food sources in the pond. The most common
fish species used and their food preferences are listed in Appendix 1.
It is recommended that omnivorous fish species (fish which eat both
animal and plant material) are raised as they can live on a variety of
food sources. It is not a good idea to raise large numbers of meat eating fish (predators) as these are likely to eat the other fish.
13
The way in which the pond is fertilized also determines the fish species that can be raised. Alternatively, the fish species present will determine how the pond is fertilized. Snakehead and catfish can obtain
oxygen from the air as well as from the water and are therefore less
sensitive to changes in the oxygen content of the water. Tilapia cannot
obtain oxygen from the air, but they are less sensitive to oxygen shortages in the water than other fish species (Appendix 1). The amount of
fertilizer that can be used will depend on how sensitive the fish are to
oxygen shortages.
2.7
Food supplements for fish
Yields can be increased by giving the fish extra food. In ponds which
are well fertilized the fish will usually receive more than enough protein. However, they may not obtain sufficient energy, which can limit
production. By feeding the fish grain which is rich in energy you can
supplement this deficiency. The by-products from grain production,
such as wheat and rice bran, or broken rice, make excellent food supplements for fish ponds which are fertilized using animal dung. In
Cambodia the leaves from the ipil-ipil tree, Sesbania tree and kapok
tree, together with tender leaves from water hyacinth and morning
glory plants are cooked with rice husks and used as fish food. Termites
are also a good source of protein-rich food. The termites are extracted
from their mounds by sieving the earth. The soil left over is good for
producing earthworms (Chapter 4, section: "Other integrated fish-rice
culture systems").
14
Plant material for fish food and

fertilizer
3.1
Introduction
Plant material can be used directly as food for plant eating fish. Plant
waste material can be used as well as crops that cannot be sold. Sometimes it is worthwhile growing certain crops specially for the fish.
Generally speaking the type of plant material available will determine
how it can best be used for the fish: as direct food or as fertilizer
through converting it into compost or animal manure. If (water)plants
or plant by-products are only available in small quantities or irregularly then it is best to use them directly as fish food in the pond. If you
have a large amount of plant material available and the whole fish
raising period is long it is better to compost the plant material or feed
it to farmyard animals and use their manure for the pond.
3.2
Composting
Composting plant material has a number of advantages. Where there is

a large amount of fresh material available transport costs are considerably reduced by making compost first. Composted fish food is also
more stable, more concentrated, of better quality and contains less disease organisms.
Not all plant material is suitable for use as direct fish food. It is better
to make compost from the less suitable types. Generally speaking it is
better to compost plant material and use it as fertilizer than as direct
fish food. Compost used as fertilizer will have most effect if it is
evenly spread over the pond.
Detailed information on how to make and use compost can be found
in Agrodok No. 8: 'The preparation and use of compost'.
Composting is done in the corner of a pond in some places in Africa.
This method is less effective than making compost on land and after
that spreading it over the whole pond. Fish production is higher using
15
the latter method. This is probably because the nutrients from a compost heap in the corner of a pond are not spread well throughout the
pond.
Carry out composting of plant and animal waste on land as follows:
Start the heap by making a foundation of coarse plant material such as
twigs or sugar cane stalks (figure 4). The outside air can easily flow in
under the heap and any excess water flows away more quickly. Decomposition is easier if the material is put on in layers; layers of easily
decomposable material alternated with material more difficult to decompose.
Alternate layers of plant material, of manure and of mud or pond
sludge. Add water to the compost heap to speed up the rotting. Driving
a number of bamboo sticks into the compost heap will improve the
aeration, thus raising the temperature at which decomposition takes
place. The compost is usually ready for use after 6 to 8 weeks, although it very much depends on the material that is being composted.
The compost is ready to used when it has become crumbly and looks
like good dark soil.
Figure 4: Example of how to make a compost heap.
Fish food made from composted water hyacinth (figure 5), dung and
rice straw fed to Nile tilapia can give a production level of 360 kg per
100 m. The following recipe is used for the compost:
16
Dry 1,000 kg of water hyacinth in the

sun until the weight is reduced to approximately 400 kg. Then mix the dried
water hyacinth well and spread it over a
layer of (rice) straw measuring 3 x 3 m.
Make the compost heap about one metre
high and drive bamboo sticks through it
so that air can reach the inside.
Mix the compost heap every two weeks
by bringing the material at the bottom
up to the top and the material at the top
down to the bottom. After two months
the compost will be ready to spread over
the pond.
To harvest 25 kg Nile tilapia from a
pond of about 100 m after six months,
you need to feed them 2 kg of compost
every day. For these quantities you will Figure 5: Water hyacinth.
need four compost heaps of the size described above.
3.3
Land plants
Waste or by-products from land plant cultivation can be used as fish

food for plant-eating (herbivorous) fish species such as grass carp and
omnivorous fish species including most tilapia, catfish and common
carp species (Appendix 1). If the fish cannot eat the plant waste directly it can be used as fertilizer by composting it first (Chapter 3, section: "Composting"). Generally speaking only the young, fresh and
soft parts of the plant (such as leaves and stems) are suitable for feeding the fish directly. It is also a good idea to make these parts of the
plant as small as possible so that the fish can eat the material more
easily. Crop by-products are often more nutritious than the harvested
products. By-products such as leaves, stems and shoots often contain
more minerals and proteins. Crops which can be used as fish food are
often grown close to fish ponds or on the dykes in order to keep the
17
transport distance short. A fish pond can also have advantages for crop
production. The land around the pond is often more fertile because it
is wetter and can be easily irrigated. After the fish harvest the sludge
can be used as fertilizer on the crops. If you want to raise fish all year
round it is important to grow some perennial crops. These can then be
used for fish food in the dry season.
In China, land plants used as fish food are often grown on the dykes
and the slopes between the fish ponds. These plants not only provide
food for the fish but they also help to strengthen the dykes. Appendix
3 provides a list of grasses which are often used for this purpose. Fish
species which eat grass include grass carp (20 fish weighing 7 g each),
catla, rohu, mrigal, silver and common carp (4 fish of each weighing 7
g each). These figures are based on ponds which are 100 m in area
and 2 m deep. The fish can be fed with napier grass for example.
When grass can be seen floating on the surface after feeding, the fish
have eaten enough. Catla, silver and common carp grow quickest and
will reach a weight of 1 kg after about six months. They are then ready
to harvest. After harvesting these fast growers, young fish can be put
out in the pond as there is a continuous supply of napier grass. Fish
harvests of 40 to 60 kg can be obtained without any extra feeding or
fertilizing. An area twice the size of the fish pond is needed to grow
enough napier grass to feed the fish.
Appendix 4 provides a list of vegetable crops which are often grown
for fish food on fish pond dykes.
Another successful Chinese fish production system integrates fish,
mulberry and silk cultivation. Mulberry trees are grown on the dykes
between the fish ponds, and produce about 370 kg of leaves per 100
m of dyke. The leaves are used as feed for the silkworms. 370 kg of
leaves produce 27 kg of silkworm cocoons. These cocoons in turn
produce 185 kg of silkworm manure and skins (after the silkworms
have shed their skins). The silkworm manure can be used directly as
fish food and fertilizer for the fish pond. The cocoons contain the (butterfly) pupa which have a food conversion of 2 (Chapter 3, section:
18
"Nutritional value of plants", for a description of the term food conversion) when this is used directly as fish food. Good yields can be
obtained by using fish food and fertilizer from silkworm production.
figure 6 gives the food conversions for the different products from the
integrated fish-mulberry-silk system. Polyculture is often practised,
where different fish species are raised together. Fish species used include grass carp (195 fish weighing 50 g per 1,000 m), bighead carp
(45 fish weighing 50 g per 1,000 m), common carp (75 fish weighing
25 g per 1,000 m) and crucian carp, 195 fish weighing 10 g per 1,000
m). The fish ponds used vary in area from 5,000 to 10,000 m and are
usually between 2 and 2.5 metres deep. Fish yields of 270 kg per
1,000 m are obtained without using extra feed or fertilizer.
Figure 6: Food conversions for products in an integrated fishmulberry-silk system.
3.4
Water plants
Water plants can be used directly as fish food for plant eating fish such
as grass carp. Plant eaters prefer soft water plants. Water plants are
also a good source of food for some omnivorous fish species. For example, silver barb grows quickest when fed on duckweed. Cassava
leaves and morning glory leaves (figure 7) also produce good growth
in silver barb. Bigger fish are better able to consume water plants as
they have larger mouths. For this reason it is worthwhile chopping the
19
plants up before feeding them to the fish. Water plants can also be
composted and used to fertilize the pond.
Figure 7: Morning glory in bloom (Halwart, 1995).
Most water plants are less suitable than land plants as fish feed as they
contain a large amount of water. This means that a far larger amount
of water plant material than land plant material is needed to enable the
fish to grow to the same weight. However, water plants contain good
nutrients and the quality of water plants is less dependent on the season. Water plants grown in water which contains a lot of nutrients
produce better quality fish food than plants from water which has not
been treated with fertilizer. In China many water plants are grown in
the irrigation and drainage ditches around the fish ponds.
Appendix 2 provides a list of commonly grown water plants which
can be used for fish food. We strongly advise against growing alligator
weed (figure 8) and water hyacinth as these plants can create serious
problems. They grow very fast and they can cover the whole water
surface within a very short time. This destroys the conditions which
other plants and animals need in order to survive. In addition, these
plants make it very difficult to carry out activities in or on the water. It
20
is also much cheaper to harvest these

plants where they grow naturally.
Duckweed
There are different types of duckweed: Lemna species, Wolffia species
and Spirodela species (figure 9).
Duckweed is valuable fish food and
floats on the surface of the water. It
grows fast: the number of plants can
double within two days. Float bamboo poles on the surface of the water
in order to prevent the weed from
being blown by the wind into a corner of the pond. These divide the
pond into sections about 3 x 3 metres. Fruit trees and vegetables are Figure 8: Alligator weed.
often planted on the dykes of the
pond in order to protect the duckweed from strong sunlight. These
trees also form an extra source of income. The duckweed in the pond
must be harvested every week so that the faster growing algae does
not take over. It should be harvested in such a way that a small amount
is left in the pond for the next growing period. Duckweed production
decreases considerably when the temperature falls to below 15 to
20C. At these lower temperatures water fern often takes over.
Figure 9: Different types of duckweed.
21
Duckweed is suitable food for various fish species. A pond one metre
deep used to raise tilapia fed on duckweed will usually contain 2 to 3
fish per square metre. Duckweed can also be used where several fish
are raised together. In carp polyculture three species of young fish
with different eating habits are placed in a pond 1.50 to 2.50 m deep.
Grass carp (50 fish per 100 m) or common carp (25 fish per 100 m)
eat duckweed from the surface. Silver carp (50 per 100 m) or rohu
carp (37 per 100 m) eat algae in the pond. Catla carp (37 per 100 m)
filter zooplankton from the water. The fourth searches for food mainly
at the bottom of the pond: mrigal carp (50 per 100 m) and common
carp (25 per 100 m). In a pond that is set up in this way nearly all
available food sources are used by the different carp species. In a period of 18 months it is possible to obtain 150 kg fish per square metre.
Water chestnut
The water chestnut is a common
'cash crop' in India (figure 10). It is
also possible to integrate production
of this water plant with raising common carp. The leaves and dead material at the bottom of the pond form
food for the carp. The young water
chestnut plants are planted out in
May or June on the bottom of the
pond.
They grow in the mud at the bottom

of the pond. The pond is stocked at a
rate of twenty common carp weighing 50 g per 100 m in September or
October. The water chestnut fruits Figure 10: Water chestnut.
ripen during the winter and are harvested in the period from November to January. A yield of 75 to 100
kg of fruit per 100 m can be obtained. In April and May the fish
weighing 0.75 to 1 kg can be harvested, which should yield a total
production of 10 to 12.5 kg per 100 m of pond.
22
Water hyacinth
Water hyacinth (figure 5) can also be used as fish food. In order to
harvest 25 kg of tilapia each year from a fish pond of 100 m, the fish
need to be fed 10 kg of fresh water hyacinth daily. The best way of
using fresh water hyacinth as food is to chop it up into pieces of approximately 5 cm. Better still is to make compost from water hyacinth
(see Chapter 3, section "Composting"). Then only 2 kg per day is
needed.
Water hyacinth is a weed which grows rampantly in the wild, therefore it is not recommended that you cultivate it. A water surface area
approximately half the size of the fish pond will yield enough fish
food for Chinese carp polyculture. This polyculture system consists of
grass carp (220 fish of 500 g per 1,000 m), silver carp (320 fish of 50
g per 1,000 m), 'bighead' carp (80 fish of 50 g per 1,000 m) and
common carp (240 fish of 50 g per 1,000 m). The ponds where these
carps are raised vary in surface area from 5,000 to 10,000 m and in
depth from 2 to 2.5 m. Yields of 600 kg per 1,000 m can be obtained
without using extra feed or fertilizer.
Water fern
The water fern lives together with a blue green algae. It is not used
often as fish food as it has a low nutritional value and contains less
protein than duckweed. Azolla dies and turns red when the water temperature rises above 20C. Where rice and fish are raised together
Azolla can be used as 'green manure' by mixing it with the soil before
the young rice plants are transplanted. The water fern breaks down in
the soil, releasing nutrients which can be taken up by the young rice
plants.
3.5
Nutritional value of plants
Most plants used as fish food have a food conversion of 30 to 40. This
means that a fish must eat 30 to 40 kg of the food in order to increase
its weight by 1 kg. If you know the food conversion value and how
much plant material you need then you can work out how much land
you need to grow enough food to obtain the desired amount of fish.
23
Example: To provide enough protein for a family of five you need to

produce 200 kg of fish per year. This figure assumes that one third of
the family's protein requirements are obtained from animal sources. If
the fish are fed with napier grass (food conversion 30) then you need
200 x 30 = 6,000 kg of grass. Appendix 3 gives the production figures
for grasses: for napier grass this is 300,000 kg per hectare per year (1
hectare = 10,000 m). In order to harvest 200 kg of fish you will need
6,00/300,000 = 0.02 hectares which is 200 m of land devoted to
napier grass. We must add, however, that we do not advise the cultivation of crops especially for fish food. It is better to use the by-products
from crops already grown on the farm for fish production, or to grow
crops which provide food for people or other animals and by-products
for fish food.
24
4.1
Introduction
Raising fish in a rice field (integrated rice-fish culture) usually results

in a lower fish yield than in a fish pond, but rice is also produced.
There are a number of ways to integrate rice and fish production. If
wild fish are present they can be caught from the rice fields. If there is
few wild fish present young fish can be placed in the rice fields and
raised in them. A combination of both can also be used by placing
large enough fish (longer than 5 cm) in the rice field, and feeding the
fish regularly. By feeding the fish you can ensure that the small fish
grow quickly and therefore will not be eaten by the wild fish.
There are a number of advantages to integrated rice-fish cultivation.
The presence of fish in a rice field generally increases the rice yield by
10 to 15%. By cultivating two products you decrease the risk of loss if
one crop fails. Fish is a source of protein, and by integrating production with rice you can improve your own food security. Fish also
sometimes eat the animals which transfer diseases to people, so raising them can improve public health. Some fish species, such as the
common carp eat mosquito larvae and snails which spread disease.
Raising fish in a rice field is also a biological way of reducing weeds,
insects, snails and some rice diseases. This is a safe and cheap alternative to using chemical pesticides to control insects and algae. The water in the rice field must be at least 20 cm deep in order for the fish to
be able to survive and move freely.
It is not always possible to integrate rice and fish production. The use
of pesticides for rice production can be harmful to the fish. Short-grain
rice varieties have a short growing period, which may not be long
enough for the fish to be able to mature. Short-grain rice also needs
only shallow water in which to grow. The water may then be too warm
to raise fish.
25
Rice and fish production do not need to be integrated by always producing the two crops simultaneously, but may be done by alternating
production: rice can be grown in the rainy season and fish in the dry
season, or the other way round. By not raising the two together, any
pesticides used for the rice will be less dangerous to the fish, and it is
easier to control the water level so that it is right for both rice and fish.
In areas where rice production is not profitable in all seasons, fish
production forms an alternative source of income from the field.
4.2
The biology of a rice field
Integrating rice and fish production makes better use of the nutrients
available in the rice field. The fish also increase the fertility of the rice
field, partly through the manure they produce and partly because they
stir up the bottom which increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients
which the rice plants can use for growth.
Rice fields are shallow temporary swamps. The water is warm and
sunlight can penetrate as far as the bottom, especially when the rice
plants are still young. In these conditions algae grow fast. Algae use
nutrients which the rice plants need. By releasing fish which eat algae,
the rice will be able to use more nutrients for their growth. Tilapia are
algae eating fish.
One of the biggest problems in rice cultivation is the fast growth of
weeds. Up to half of the rice yield can be lost through competition
from weeds. Raising plant-eating fish can help to solve this problem.
Release young fish 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting the rice. This is the
time when competition between the rice plants and weeds for nutrients
is greatest. Grass carp at a density of 2 fish (longer than 15 cm) per
square metre can keep a rice field completely free of weeds. The fish
do not eat the rice plants. However, for grass carp to survive the water
must be at least 50 cm deep. Javanese barb, silver barb, as well as
some tilapia species (Tilapia rendalli, Zill's tilapia, Tilapia zillii and
Nile tilapia, all in a density of 3 fish of 50 g or more per 100 m) are
also good to use against weed. Using larger fish is better as they have
26
a wider mouth and can therefore eat more weed than smaller fish. Fish
species which search for food at the bottom of a pond are also good
for keeping a rice field free of weeds. These fish stir up the bottom, so
the water becomes cloudy, and less sunlight can penetrate, which reduces the growth of weeds. The common carp is a very good weed
eater. Fish which feed from the bottom of the pond should only be released once the rice plants have 5 to 7 shoots, otherwise the plants will
be uprooted by the fish. Releasing a combination of fish species leads
to better results than using just one fish species. A good polyculture is
the combination of common carp with Nile tilapia. Weed growth can
also be reduced by making the water deeper, as well as by using fish.
Before the rice plants are planted out, pigs can also be put in the rice
fields to eat the weeds. Local pig breeds fed on market waste can be
used. 25-30 pigs per 100 m can rid a rice field of weeds in one day.
Fish can also reduce the number of insect pests in a rice field. Insects
which damage rice include plant hoppers, stem borers, leafhoppers
and leaf folders. Fish only eat insects which live entirely in the water
or on the root of the plant or which fall into the water. Common carp,
and to a lesser extent grass carp, longer than 7 cm with a density of 2
fish per square metre, will keep a rice field insect free.
Snails can reduce a rice yield by half. Fish are a good way of reducing
the number of snails in a rice field. Not only do fish eat snails, but
they also eat the algae upon which snails feed. Black carp and to a less
extent cichlid species can decrease the amount of snails in a field. The
fish should weigh more than 50 g and be stocked at a density of 2 fish
per 100 m. In the first weeks after transplanting the rice farmers remove snails by hand as this is when the plants are most vulnerable.
Snails eggs can be caught easily in this period by laying sticks in the
drainage canals (figure 11).
27
Ducks are put out in rice fields to

eat snails in China, Indonesia and
Vietnam. It is important to keep an
eye on the ducks so that they do
not start to eat the young rice
plants once they have eaten all the
snails. Ducks can be put in the
fields from the time of the first
flooding until the field is prepared
for transplanting, then again 35
days after the rice plants have been
transplanted and after the rice has
been harvested. Two to four ducks
per 100 m can get rid of the snails
in a rice field within two days.
Two weeks after transplanting the
rice you can release common carp
and Nile tilapia into the rice field,
and these will eat the remaining Figure 11: The golden apple
smaller snails.
snail and two egg packets on
rice stems (Halwart, 1995).
Another way of dealing with snails
is to drain the rice field completely so that the snails move to the deep
parts where water is left. You can then easily remove the snails by
hand from these deeper pools. By then making the rice field as flat as
possible you will reduce the number of active snails in future. Rice
plants which are raised from seed in the field are most likely to be
eaten by snails in the first four weeks after sowing, and transplanted
rice in the first two weeks after transplanting. If there are a lot of
snails in the field you can reduce the amount of damage to the rice by
sowing or transplanting more. It is also a good idea to transplant older,
and therefore stronger, rice plants. Other ways of reducing the amount
of snails include changing the crop in the field, burning the rice stalks
and leaving the field fallow for a while. These methods work best
when all rice growers in the area do the same with their fields.
28
4.3
Suitability of a field for fish culture
Site selection
The rice field must be able to hold water at a constant level for the
whole period during which rice is grown. The longer it is capable of
doing this the better it will be for fish culture. The best fields for this
are those lying just above the high water line, or ones with high dykes
so that they will not flooded. The highest level of fish production will
be achieved where the water is at least 30 cm deep. If some parts of
the field are a little shallower it will not matter. How watertight a field
is depends mainly on the type of soil: clay soil lets less water through
than sandy soil. A simple way of testing the soil is to make a ball from
the soil. If you can throw the ball of soil a distance of 50 cm to your
other hand without it falling apart then the soil will hold water well.
You can improve the water holding capacity of sandy soil by applying
fertilizer often during the rice growing period. It is possible to raise
fish successfully on sandy soil, but it requires more work to keep the
water level constant. If the rice field is close to the house it will be less
effort to check the water level, feed fish and keep thieves away.
Fish refuges
Fish in rice fields need one or more refuges, which are deeper parts in
the rice field. These places can be a deeper channel or a small pond
area in the rice field or adjoining it. These are used for the fish to rest
or hide, for feeding them, checking growth and harvesting the fish.
The shape, size and number of the refuges depends on the number of
fish and how important fish culture is in relation to the rice cultivation. This means that a number of combinations of shape, size and
number of refuges is possible, depending on the siting of the rice field.
figure 12 (A-F) shows topviews and cross-sections of various fish refuges (with d = dyke and r = refuge).
29
Figure 12: Topviews and cross-sections of fish refuges.
30
Figure 13: Topviews and cross-sections of fish refuges.
The deepest part of the field or an existing fish pond in the rice field is
usually used as a fish refuge. The depth of the refuge must be between
0.5 and 1 metre. In northeast Thailand experience has shown that a
channel on one side of a rice field is enough, and the dug out soil can
be used to raise the dyke level. Whether or not a refuge is made, and
how big it is, will depend on how important the fish culture is in comparison to the rice cultivation, as well as on the amount of labour
available, the siting and size of the rice field and the soil type. A narrow channel will collapse quickly in sandy soil, but not in clay soil. In
sandy soil, the width of a channel should be three times its depth. A
fish refuge is not needed in a field that is well irrigated and where the
water is at least 30 cm deep.
31
Water intake and outlet

A rice field usually needs a water outlet to prevent flooding and damage to the dyke. In order to prevent fish from escaping through the
outlet it is a good idea to place a fine screen over the outer end of the
inlet (supply) pipe and the inner end of the outlet (discharge) pipe.
These screens also make it easier to clear the snails which collect on
the sides of the irrigation canals. The screens can be made from a
piece of metal with holes in it or a fine nylon mesh (figure 15A). The
inlet and outlet pipes can be made of bamboo or wood. In most fields
the water in- and outlet are made by protecting a hole in the dyke with
a bamboo screen or some other kind of net or mesh (figure 15B).
Farmers in the wetter areas of northeast Thailand use a 'li'. This is a
bamboo hoop net which is used to catch wild fish entering the field
(figure 15C). The small fish caught can be released into the field, but
not the big fish. figure 15D shows a simple water outlet. The depth of
the water outlet is determined by the depth of water which gives the
highest rice production. The size of the outlet depends on experience,
but too small is better than too big.
An integrated rice-fish culture system works best if it is possible to

separate the fish pond from the rice field when circumstances require
this. For example, when the rice is to be harvested, the water level can
be lowered through the outlet ([a] in figure 14). The fish will be drawn
to the pond and can survive, to be harvested later.
Figure 14: Cross-section of a rice-fish culture system in which the

components can be separated (Noble & Rashidi, 1990).
32
Also if there is a very dry period, you can carry out only one of the
two cultures for that season. By doing that you increase the chance to
get at least one harvest instead of loosing all because of shortage of
water.
Figure 15: Examples of water inlet pipes, outlet pipes and 'screens'.
33
Field preparation
A number of basic preparations for making a rice field more suited to
fish culture are explained here and illustrated in figure 16-figure 22
(Fermin, 1992).
? figure 16: Dig out a

fish refuge, a channel
or deeper area in the
rice field, before the
rainy season begins.
Dig a channel 1 m
wide and 0.5 m deep,
depending on the Figure 16: Digging out a fish refuge.
number of fish to be
released. A guideline is that the channel should take up a tenth of
the area of the rice field, but experience will show exactly how big
it needs to be. The refuge should be separated from the rest of the
field by a small dyke.
? figure 17: When there
is sufficient water in
the refuge, either from
rainfall or from the irrigation canal, the refuge can be fertilized
using chicken, pig or
cow manure. Half a
kilogram per square
metre
is
usually Figure 17: Fertilizing the refuge.
enough to provide
natural food for the fish (Chapter 5).
34
? figure 18: Release the

fish (at least 7 cm in
length) two weeks after
applying fertilizer. A
mix of Nile tilapia, silver barb and common
carp at a density of 25
fish per 100 m is usually a successful combi- Figure 18: Releasing the fish.
nation.
? figure 19: When the
rains begin you can
start to plough and
harrow the rice field.
The field can also be
fertilized using animal or green manure
such as water fern
(Chapter 3, section:
"Water
plants"). Figure 19: Ploughing the rice field.
Snails can be removed by hand, or ducks can be put in the field to eat them. Pigs
can be used to eat the aquatic weeds (Chapter 4, section: "The biology of a rice field").
? figure 20: After levelling the ground, the
young rice plants can be
transplanted from the
seedbed to the rice field.
Make sure that there is
at least 3 cm of water in
the rice field while Figure 20: Transplanting young rice
transplanting.
plants.
35
? figure 21: Two to

three weeks after
transplanting the rice
plants break open the
dyke between the rice
field and the fish refuge so that the fish
can swim into the rice
field. Make sure that
the water in the rice Figure 21: Fish swimming into the rice
field is 20 cm deep field.
and that this slowly
increases to 30 cm as
the rice starts to put
out runners.
? figure 22: After the
rice has been harvested the larger fish
can be caught from
the refuge. If most of
the fish are still too
small to be sold they Figure 22: Harvesting rice and catching
can be fed regularly the larger fish.
until they are a better
size.
4.4
The types of fish which occur naturally in rice fields are often predators, such as snakehead, catfish species and climbing perch. Sometimes catching wild fish is preferred to raising fish as the wild fish
taste better and can be sold for a higher price. In areas where traditional rice varieties are cultivated wild fish caught in the fields form
an important source of protein. When fish larger than 7 cm are released into the rice field and are fed, they will be too large for the wild
36
fish to eat. Then it is possible to harvest both wild and cultured fish.
Small fish can be released where there are almost no wild fish present
which might eat them.
Rice fields are temporary shallow swamps where the water can be
muddy and lacking in oxygen. The temperature of the water can vary a
lot and reach temperatures as high as 30 to 35C. Fish which are to be
raised in rice fields must be resistant to these kinds of conditions. Fish
which grow quickly are desirable as the growing period for rice is often short.
A rice field contains many different food sources and is therefore ideally suited for raising several fish species together (polyculture). The
most commonly used fish species for rice fields are the common carp,
silver barb and Nile tilapia. The silver barb is becoming increasingly
popular in southeast Asia as it is omnivorous (eats both plants and
animals) and it is easy to sell. However, the silver barb is very sensitive to oxygen shortages. Its growth rate is also less sensitive to increased fertilizer application than that of other fish species such as
Nile tilapia.
There is no single combination of fish species which works best everywhere, as all places have their own particular conditions. Big fish
are more expensive than small ones, but are less likely to be eaten by
predators. For farmers who are raising fish for the first time, or who
are not going to feed the fish, we recommend beginning with not more
than 30 fish of 7 cm in length per 100 m.
A combination often used in Thailand consists of 120 common carp,
120 silver barb and 60 Nile tilapia per 100 m. In China, grass carp,
common carp and crucian carp are often combined. With a combination of 50 grass carp, 30 common carp and 20 crucian carp it is possible to harvest 90 kg of rice per 100 m of rice field. A combination of
50 grass carp, 30 common carp and 20 crucian carp yields the highest
fish harvest (20 kg per 100 m rice field. The prices of rice and fish
will determine the best combination of the two products. Appendix 5
gives an overview of different combinations of fish, stocking densities
37
and harvest yields for several

rice-fish culture systems.
Note that fish should be at
least 7 cm long when released (0).
It is always better to raise a
combination of fish species
instead of just one species.
Different fish species eat
different types of food, resulting in higher yields.
There are a number of factors which will determine Figure 23: The minimum length for
what fish species are most young fish to be raised in rice fields.
suitable:
? Availability.
A farmer is always dependent on the fish which are available locally.
? Preference.
A family usually prefers a certain fish species. Many farmers
choose to stock a rice field with large fish which are more likely to
survive. Other farmers will choose smaller fish because they are
cheaper. A family with limited financial resources must often
choose between a few large fish or many small fish.
? Food preferences of fish species.
Tilapia: a strong fish which does well in water of low quality, and
reproduces easily. The high rate of reproduction means that farmers
can keep a few large fish the whole year round, which will provide
them with young fish, so they do not have to buy any. A disadvantage is that a rice field can quickly become too full of young tilapia
as they breed so fast. If this happens the fish cannot grow well. If
there are predator fish in the field they will eat the small tilapia and
keep numbers down. Some farmers do not like the taste of tilapia,
and they say it does not ferment well. Another complaint is that ti-
38
lapia competes with other fish species for food and can chase other
fish away.
Common carp: does well in low quality water and grows well in
most rice fields. Survival rates are often low as they are easily
caught by predators.
Chinese and Indian carp: grow badly in rainfed rice fields as the
water level varies too much. These species grow better where the
water is at least 50 cm deep (Indian deepwater rice cultivation).
Silver barb: survives well in rice fields. This species is more sensitive to water quality and grows less well in shallow water (less than
10 cm deep), in rainfed rice fields where depth varies than common
carp and tilapia.
Snakeskin gourami: grows well in rainfed rice fields. The field must
be stocked with breeders, not young fish, from which the young fish
can be harvested and sold.
Rice fields which have silted up too much to be used for rice cultivation can still be used to produce fish. Snakeskin gourami, tilapia species such as Mozambique or Javanese tilapia and Zill's tilapia are examples of fish which can be raised in brackish water.
4.5
Releasing the fish
When you buy fish you must release them into the rice field as soon as
possible. The container the fish are in must be handled very carefully
and kept out of direct sunlight. When releasing the fish a large difference in temperature between the water in the container and in the rice
field can kill the fish. The best way to avoid this is by mixing small
amounts of water from the rice field gradually into the water in the
container so that the fish can get used to the new temperature. When
the temperature in the container feels the same as in the rice field the
fish can be transferred to the rice field. The best time to do this is early
in the morning or late in the afternoon when the water temperature is
lower.
39
Fish, which are smaller than 5 cm, are usually released one week after
transplanting the rice. Fish longer than 5 cm are usually released two
weeks after transplanting the rice. If rice is sown directly into the field
from seed it will take longer before fish can be released as the rice
plants are weaker.
The earlier fish can be released the longer the amount of time available for raising fish and the higher the fish production will be. There
are also less predators around earlier in the season, and the larger the
fish the less vulnerable they are to predators. However, there must be
enough water in the rice field to be able to release the fish safely.
When large fish are released you must make sure that the rice plants
already have 2 or 3 shoots so they will not be damaged.
In a rainfed rice field small fish can be released before the rice is
planted. They can grow in the fish refuge until the rice field has been
planted. The rice variety will also affect the time at which fish can be
released. Traditional long grain varieties are often stronger than modern short grain varieties, and are better able to stand up to fish activity.
Fish can be released earlier into fields where the traditional long grain
varieties are cultivated.
4.6
Fertilizing and feeding
Fertilizing the rice field can increase both fish and rice production.
Spread 2 to 5 kg of fresh water fern Azolla per 100 m over the soil
one week before planting the rice. Azolla can either be cultivated or
harvested from the wild. Fresh manure or compost can also be used,
depending on what is available. The addition of 3 kg of manure per
100 m per week substantially increases the amount of natural food in
the water.
We recommend feeding the fish from halfway through the rice cultivation period, as by this stage the rice plants will have grown so much
that no sunlight will penetrate the water. Feeding is usually only done
where a large number of fish have been released (more than 50 fish
per 100 m) and it will increase the yield. Fish can be fed rice chaff or
rapeseed. Earthworms are another food source for fish which can be
40
collected from the rice field during the rainy season. Earthworms can
be raised in animal manure or compost to be used as fish food. Fish
can be caught one week before the rice is harvested by letting the water level in the rice field go down slowly so that the fish will swim
into the refuge. If the fish are not big enough to eat or sell they can be
left in the field after the rice is harvested. Depending on how many
fish are present they can either be kept
in the refuge or a part of the rice field
can be flooded again.
The water plant elephant ear or taro
can be used as fish food. This plant
can be grown on the dykes surrounding the rice field. All parts of the plant
can be used as food for people, fish
and pigs. Use shoots from the wild to
start cultivating this crop. Cut the old
leaves off, leaving just the young
leaves and the shoot. Cut away half of
the root or tuber (figure 24), and plant
it 5 to 10 cm below the water level of
the rice field (figure 25). There should
be 60 cm between the plants on the
dyke. The first plants can be harvested
after 4 to 5 months. Various water
plants can be used for fish food (Chap- Figure 24: A trimmed eleter 3), and silver barb eat nearly all phant ear/taro ready for
types of plant material.
planting.
4.7
Fish yields
Wild fish grow more slowly than cultured fish, and the number of wild
fish in a pond will depend on the natural environment. This means that
fish production based on wild fish will have lower yields than for cultured fish. A maximum yield of 2 kg per 100 m per year can be expected for wild fish, whereas raising fish can produce a yield as high
41
as 5 kg per 100 m per year (Appendix 5). Production levels can be

further increased by feeding the fish, using fertilizer on the rice field
soil and using several fish species together.
Figure 25: Elephant ear//taro planted on the dyke of a fish pond.
Traditional rice varieties are taller than modern ones, which means
they grow better in deeper water. Deeper water will also give a higher
fish production. Traditional rice varieties also have a longer ripening
period, which gives the fish a longer amount of time in which to grow.
In some areas of India yields of up to 15 kg of fish per 100 m are obtained annually, where the fish are fed (Appendix 5).
4.8
Other integrated fish-rice culture systems
There are various ways in which rice and fish cultivation can be combined with keeping other animals (Chapter 5).
In Thailand, an integrated system of pig, rice and fish culture is practised. The fish pond is linked to the rice field. During the rainy season
the rice field is fertilized using water containing pig manure from the
fish pond. The water in the fish pond is used during the dry season to
water vegetables or rice seedlings in the rice field.
42
In China and Indonesia, rice, ducks and fish are raised together. The
ducks are fed with rice in the evenings. The ducks also eat insects and
snails from the rice fields, which means it is not necessary to purchase
expensive chemical pesticides. The water in the rice field is 10-15 cm
deep and the rice plants are planted 25cm apart so that ducks can
swim around freely. A rice field of 100 m can sustain 30 ducks, which
can be introduced when they are between 7 and 10 days old. Manure
from the ducks and the fish fertilizes the rice field, so that artificial
fertilizer does not have to be bought. Ducks raised in rice fields grow
more quickly than ducks which kept on land. They reach a weight of
about 1kg after about six weeks. At this point they should be removed
from the rice field as they no longer eat insects and will start to eat the
rice plants.
In Indonesia, the dykes around rice fields and fish ponds are used to
grow trees. Sesbania trees are planted at intervals of 40 cm on the
dykes. Over a period of three years the following products can be harvested: leaves and flowers for human consumption and animal feed,
large branches for firewood and shade for people and animals. In
Bangladesh trees are planted on the dykes of rice fields for firewood.
Species used include Eucalyotus camldulensis, Swietenia macrophylly
and rosewood, ladyfinger, ridge gourd, ash guard and papaya.
43
Integrating animal production

with fish culture
5.1
Animal manure
Animal manure can be added fresh to a fish pond or after a period of

storage. Manure should not be kept for too long before use, as its quality decreases when it is stored. There are some risks involved in using
animal manure. The manure can contain bacteria or worms which are
harmful to humans, and which can also infect fish. People who eat the
sick fish may then also become ill. This problem is overcome by
cleaning the fish well and frying or cooking it thoroughly. We strongly
advise against the use of human faeces as fertilizer for a fish pond as
disease can be passed on to fish and then to humans. If fish has a
strong taste it is a good idea to stop fertilizing the fish pond two days
before harvesting, or to transfer the fish to containers with fresh water
a few days before harvesting.
The choice of animals to keep for manure for a fish pond will depend
on a number of aspects: local customs, the local economy (market
preferences) and other production factors.
The quantity and quality of the manure produced depends on the animal's age and the quality of food it receives. Low quality food produces low quality manure, high quality food produces high quality
manure. Average annual production of an adult animal (kgs fresh manure per year) varies: a cow produces the most (6,000 kg to 9,000 kg),
followed by pigs (3,000 kg to 4,000 kg) with chickens and ducks producing the least (50 kg). However, the dry material content of the manure (manure without water) is much higher in chicken and duck manure (30-50%) than for pigs (20-30%) and cows (15-20%). The nutrient composition (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) of chicken manure is best, followed by duck, pig and cow manure respectively.
44
Generally speaking, the best (optimum) amount of manure (Chapter 2)

is 1 kg of dried manure per 100 m per day, for a fish pond containing
the optimum number of fish (200 fish heavier than 50 g each per 100
m). When this amount of manure is used, the amount of fish harvested increases in proportion to the fish density. Where there are
more than 200 fish per 100 m then the amount harvested does not
increase so much. There is also no point applying less manure than the
amount indicated, as it will not be sufficient to produce extra natural
food. If you add more it will only make the water quality worse, and
then the fish will not grow enough. If the pond receives other types of
fertilizer as well as animal manure then the total amount applied
should be reduced accordingly. The optimum application of 1 kg of
dried fertilizer per 100 m per day is equivalent to 2.5 kg of fresh
chicken or duck manure, 4 kg of fresh pig manure or 6 kg of fresh cow
manure.
A small-scale integrated fish cultivation system using animal manure
as fertilizer will often produce yields which are sufficient to feed the
family. An example from Thailand shows that a farm with 30 ducks
per 200 m yielded 110 to 290 kg of fish per year. An average of 180
kg of manure for a pond of 200 m is enough to feed 5 people for a
year. These figures are based on the assumption that a third of the total
protein requirements are obtained from animal products.
5.2
Integrating fish culture with pig raising
The stocking densities given below are for a standard pond size of 100
m (e.g. 10 x 10 m), for fish released when they are 10 cm in length.
Pig housing
In general, pigs need a minimum floor area of 1 to 1.5 m per pig.
There are two ways of housing pigs combined with fish.
The most common is to build the sties on the banks of the pond (figure
26). Dig the drainage channels so that the pig manure can be rinsed
with water into the pond. It is a good idea to make a sty with a hard
floor, so that less manure is lost. Lay the floor so that it slopes down
45
towards the pond, as that makes it easier to wash the manure into the
pond. Surplus manure can always be carried to another pond if necessary.
Figure 26: Pig sty construction for integration with fish raising.
In some cases pig sties are built above the pond. These are made of
wood, built on stilts with a slatted floor so the manure falls into the
pond. Where the sty is above a small pond it must be built on the
windward side, so that the wind spreads the manure over the pond. If
the pond is large it is worth building the sties in different places above
the pond.
There are a number of disadvantages to building sties above a pond. It
is often damp and draughty above a pond which can cause respiratory
problems in pigs. You cannot use any cleaning materials to clean the
sty as they will pollute the pond. For further information on pig keeping, see Agrodok No.1 'Pig production in the tropics'.
46
Production cycles
The period required for pigs to grow from 20 kg to 100 kg is approximately 6 months, during which time they will provide manure. This
amount of time is sufficient for raising most kinds of fish. Tilapia
takes about 3 months to grow to market size (150 g), which means that
for one pig cycle two lots of tilapia can be raised. As the pigs grow,
the amount of manure they produce also increases. In the first 60 days
they produce about 1.5 kg manure per day. A pig between 60 and 220
days old produces approximately 3 kg manure per day.
The average food conversion of pig manure is 25. This means that 25
kg of pig manure is needed to produce 1 kg of fish. As the fish grows,
the amount of food needed also increases. If the fish production cycle
is the same length as that of the pigs then the food requirements of the
fish rise at approximately the same rate as the increase in pig manure.
If two lots of fish can be produced within one pig cycle then it is necessary to ensure that there is not too much manure in the pond water.
At the beginning of the second fish cycle the pigs will already be 3
months old, and producing too much manure for small fish. The surplus manure which is not put in the pond can be used on crops or for
making compost.
Choice of fish species and fish densities
Between 1 and 4 pigs can be kept per 100 m. In Asia the most common fish species kept with pigs is Nile tilapia. Between 250 and 300
fish are released per 100 m. Polyculture of different Indian carp species is done using the following proportions: 32 catla carp, 24 rohu
carp and 24 mrigal carp per 100 m of pond. An alternative polyculture system uses Indian and Chinese carp species together: 16 catla
carp, 16 rohu carp, 12 mrigal carp, 16 silver carp, 9 grass carp and 12
common carp per 100 m.
By raising fish species which are less sensitive to oxygen shortages
such as catfish, densities of up to 300 fish per 100 m can be achieved.
Catfish can be stocked at higher densities because they obtain oxygen
from the air as well as from the water. If other by-products are available for feeding the fish then less pigs are required.
47
Yields
In a combined production system of pigs (1 to 2 pigs per 100 m pond)
with fish (100 to 200 fish per 100 m) a fish yield of 20 to 50 kg per
100 m can be obtained in a period of six months. A combination of
Nile tilapia (200 fish per 100 m) with common carp (50 per 100 m)
will yield between 40 to 50 kg per 100 m of pond in a six month period. Raising a combination of Indian and Chinese carp, as described
above, can yield 30 to 40 kg in a six month period and up to 60 kg per
100 m in 10 to 12 months. Silver striped catfish (at a density of 400
fish per m) can yield as much as 150 kg per 100 m.
5.3
Integrating fish culture with chickens
Many small-scale farmers in the tropics keep chickens. Chicks are not
expensive to buy or to feed, and they produce eggs and feathers as
well as meat. Chickens can be kept for eggs (layers) or for meat
(spring chickens). Chicken manure contains a lot of nutrients and
makes very good fish food. Not only chickens but also turkeys and
other sorts of fowl can be kept with fish. Chickens are more susceptible to disease than ducks or geese, so it is a good idea to vaccinate
chickens.
Chicken housing
Generally speaking, one chicken requires one square metre of floor
space. Most chicken coops (henhouses) are built of wood or bamboo
on land. The manure is collected regularly and spread fresh or dried
over the pond. In southeast Asia chicken coops are often built above
the fish pond. The holes in the floor must be big enough to allow the
chicken manure to fall through into the pond. The best construction
for a coop is open, and well ventilated, but watertight (figure 27).
Production cycles
Laying hens start to lay eggs when they are 22 weeks old. They can
produce eggs for up to one year, during which time they will lay between 250 and 280 eggs. After the laying period the hens lay fewer
eggs and are then usually slaughtered for meat. Spring chickens kept
48
for meat grow quickly. The speed at which they grow depends on the
feed they receive, but generally speaking these chickens reach an end
weight of 1 to 1.5 kg within a period of two months.
Figure 27: Example of a chicken coop above a fish pond.
For a fish cycle of six months three lots of spring chickens can be
reared. In order to ensure that the amount of manure supplied to the
pond does not vary too much it is best to keep a combination of spring
chickens of different ages together. If you keep laying hens then you
can raise two lots of fish during the laying period of one lot of hens.
You can find more information on poultry keeping in Agrodok No.4:
'Small-scale poultry production in the tropics'.
Choice of fish species and stocking densities
A combination of carp species in a pond of 100 m is often raised in
the following proportions: 40 fish which feed from the surface (e.g.
catla and silver carp), 20 rohu carp, 30 bottom feeders (mrigal and
common carp) and 10 grass carp. The maximum number of chickens
that can be kept is 10 per 100 m of pond when carp are raised, which
are sensitive to oxygen content. If tilapia are raised (less sensitive to
oxygen content) at a density of 200 fish per 100 m then up to 50
chickens per 100 m can be kept. Where catfish are kept (at a density
49
of 400 fish per 100 m) up to 120 chickens per 100 m of pond can be
kept. Catfish can be kept in water with very low oxygen content.
Yields
The combination of carp species described above will yield the first
fish for the market after 6 to 7 months, with a total production of up to
60 kg per 100 m of fish pond. Four to five spring chickens per 100 m
of pond is sufficient to obtain 25 kg of Nile tilapia and carp after six
months, with no extra feeding. A combination of tilapia and catfish
(200 fish per 100 m) with 60 chickens per 100 m can yield up to 75
kg of fish.
5.4
Integrating fish culture with ducks and

geese
Like chickens, ducks and geese are attractive poultry for small-scale
farmers. Duck and goose manure also contains a lot of nutrients and is
suitable for feeding fish. Ducks and geese swim in the fish pond, thus
spreading their own manure. The amount of manure produced over a
two month period is approximately 6 to 9 kg per bird.
Figure 28: Chopped water hyacinth makes good food for ducks.
Ducks and geese grow quickly, are strong and easy to keep. They eat
waste products as well as weeds, frogs, insect larvae and snails from
the pond. It is especially good to keep ducks and geese if you have a
large amount of tender green grass or water weeds available. Chopped
up water hyacinth makes good feed for ducks (figure 28). These food
50
sources can form a large proportion of the feed for ducks and geese,
supplemented with less bulky feed such as grain.
Ducks stir up the bottom of the food when looking for food. This reduces algae growth as sunlight cannot penetrate so deep into the water.
By keeping the ducks in one half of the pond only, algae can grow in
the other half, which also provides food for the fish. Geese spend less
time in the water than ducks, and more time on the banks resting and
looking for food. The banks of the pond have to be fenced off so that
they are not destroyed by the geese. Ducks raised in water grow more
quickly than those raised on land, and are cleaner and more healthy.
One advantage of geese is that they are good guard animals.
Housing for ducks and geese
Generally speaking a minimum area of 0.5 m per duck or goose is
required. Ducks and geese can be housed in a variety of ways. A pen
can be built which floats on the water, or resting on stilts above the
water or on the bank of the pond. Ducks and geese only need shelter
for resting (figure 29).
Figure 29: Duck shelter construction for above the pond or on the
dyke.
51
A shelter built above the water must have a floor of slats or mesh
which will let the manure through. Ideally all the manure should fall
into the water. By fencing off the banks with wire or netting, and not
building a shelter on the banks you can ensure that all manure is deposited in the water, and that the dykes remain undamaged.
Production cycles
Duck chicks take approximately 2 months to reach a market weight of
2 to 3 kg. Geese take the same amount of time to reach their market
weight of 4 to 4.5 kg. As most fish species take about 6 months to
reach market weight, 3 lots of duck or geese can be raised during each
fish cycle. In order to ensure that the manure supply remains constant
it is best to keep ducks or geese of different ages together. The fish
cycle needs to end at the same time as that of the ducks or geese. Once
the fish has been harvested the pond will be empty of fish or even dry,
and it is not good to add manure to it. During this period the manure
can be used for crops or added to compost.
Ducks can also be kept for their eggs. A duck starts to lay eggs at 24
weeks, and will continue to do so for a period of approximately 2
years. After that age egg production declines and the ducks are slaughtered. For each cycle of egg-laying ducks a number of lots of fish can
be raised. Hybrid ducks such as Peking and Khaki Campbell can lay
between 150 and 200 eggs per year if they are well fed and not disturbed during the laying period. Geese are not as productive as ducks:
they only lay 30 to 60 eggs per year.
More information about keeping ducks and geese you can find in the
Agrodok 'Duck keeping in the tropics'.
Choice of fish species and stocking densities
The fish for stocking the pond must be at least 10 cm in length otherwise they will be eaten by the ducks or geese. Different sorts of carp
are usually kept in combination with ducks and geese, with a stocking
density of 45 to 60 fish per 100 m. One possible combination is 24
catla carp, 18 rohu carp and 18 mrigal carp per 100 m. When common carp are added the proportions are 18 catla, 18 rohu, 12 mrigal
52
and 12 common carp per 100 m. If silver and grass carp are added as
well, then the densities become 9 catla, 12 rohu, 9 mrigal, 12 common, 9 silver and 9 grass carp per 100 m. Other fish species can also
be raised together with ducks and geese. These include grey mullet
and various tilapia species. When tilapia are combined with ducks and
geese an average of 100 or 200 fish per 100 m can be raised. About 3
ducks or geese per 100 m will provide sufficient manure.
When common carp are raised on their own (at a density of 200 fish
per 100 m) then a maximum of 7 ducks or geese can be kept per 100
m. Where tilapia are raised (200 fish per 100 m) a maximum of 35
ducks or geese per 100 m can be kept. When fish which are not sensitive to oxygen content are kept, such as catfish, at a density of 400 fish
per 100 m, then a maximum of 70 ducks or geese per 100 m can be
reared.
Yields
Where fish production is integrated with ducks you can obtain yields
of 30 to 55 kg per 100 m per year. The yield will depend on the number of ducks per square metre and the fish species raised. A combination of Mozambique tilapia and African catfish will yield 35 to 40 kg
of fish per 100 m per year. When a high density of Nile tilapia (400
fish per 100 m) is used up to 70 kg per 100 m can be harvested.
However, the fish harvested will be small in size. The maximum number of ducks or geese reared for meat is 70 per 100 m. The maximum
number of laying ducks or geese is 75 per 100 m when carp species
are raised (200 fish per 100 m). Where tilapia are raised, which are
less sensitive to oxygen content, at a density of 200 fish per 100 m,
then 350 ducks or geese for meat, or 400 laying ducks or geese can be
kept per 100 m. Where catfish are reared (400 fish per 100 m) the
number of ducks or geese for meat rises to 700 per 100 m, or 800 egg
laying ducks or geese per 100 m. Catfish can breathe in oxygen from
the air as well as from the water. This means that more animals can be
kept per square metre, and production levels of 150 kg per 100 m can
be obtained.
53
5.5
Integrating fish culture with other farm

animals
Cattle
Fish rearing is not often integrated with ruminants as these often graze
in pastures, which makes collecting manure difficult and time
consuming. Cattle produce large amounts of manure each day, but it is
of poor nutritional quality. However, large numbers of cattle are raised
in the tropics, and during the time that they are kept tied up it is easier
to collect the dung. Cows can be fed napier grass for example. Cow
dung is commonly used to fertilize fish ponds in India, but fish yields
are rarely higher than 20 kg per 100 m.
On a farm with a biogas converter the fish harvest can be doubled by

first processing the cow dung in the biogas converter before using it to
fertilize the fish pond (figure 30).
A fish pond of 100 m area can be stocked with 10 catla, 12 rohu, 10
mrigal, 10 silver, 3 grass and 5 common carp, all weighing 7 g. The
pond requires 0.75 litres of manure from the biogas converter daily.
Any surplus processed manure from the biogas converter can be used
on crops, and the gas produced can be used for cooking or light in the
house. Manure from the biogas converter must not be added to the fish
pond on days when it is cold or cloudy as the manure is not completely decomposed by the converter. Manuring must also be stopped
when fish are seen at the water surface gasping for oxygen. After 6
months, the first fish will have reached a weight of about 1 kg. Harvest every two months, replacing the fish removed with young fish
each time. A pond of 100 m will yield up to 50 kg of fish.
If you consider starting a biogas activity, you can find information for
orientation in Agrodok No.23 on 'Biogas'.
Sheep and goats
Sheep and goats are important animals for many small-scale farmers
in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Sheep and goat manure can be used
as fertilizer in a fish pond. It is possible to house the animals in a pen
above the pond.
54
There are a number of combinations of fish and sheep rearing systems

used in Indonesia. Large gourami is raised at a density of 30 fish per
square metre. The sheep are kept in a pen above the pond, with about
5 sheep per 100 m. The sheep are fed grass (10 kg per sheep per day)
and waste from soyabean cake production (4 kg per sheep per day).
Goat manure can also be used for fish ponds. There are no figures
available, but 4 to 5 goats will be sufficient for a pond of 100 m.
Figure 30: Diagram of an integrated cow-biogas-fish-vegetable cultivation system.

Rabbits
Rabbits make a good combination with fish production. The animals
can be housed in a hutch of bamboo or wood placed above the pond.
Rabbit dung can be used directly as fish food. Rabbit dung contains
more protein and energy than dung from other animals.
55
Appendix 1: Fish species

Algae-eaters
Chinese silver carp
Indian catla carp
Indian rohu carp
Milkfish
Mullet
Hypophtalmichthys molitrix
Catla catla
Labeo rohita
Chanos chanos
Mugil cephalus
Plant-eaters (herbivores)
Chinese grass carp
Chinese 'Wuchang' bream
Large gourami
Snakeskin gourami
Tilapia
Zill's tilapia
Ctenopharyngodon idella
Megalobrama amblycephala
Osphronemus goramy
Trichigaster pectoralis
Tilapia rendalli
Tilapia zillii
Zooplankton-eaters
Chinese 'bighead' carp
Aristichthys nobilis
Snail-eaters
Chinese black carp
Cichlid species
Mylopharyngodon piceus
Haplochromus spp.
Predator fish (fish-eaters)

Catfish species
Snakehead species
Clarias spp., Pangasius spp.

Channa spp.
Omnivores (eat small plants and animals)

Barb species
Puntius spp.
Catfish species
Clarias spp., Pangasius spp.
Chinese mud carp
Cirrhinus molitorella
Climbing perch
Anabas testudineus
Common carp
Cyprinus carpio
Crucian carp
Carassius carassius
Indian mrigal carp
Cirrhinus mrigala
Tilapia species
Oreochromis spp., Sarotherodon
spp., Tilapia spp.)
56

Table 1: Common water plants suitable for use as fish food
Common name
Alligator weed
Duckweed family
Scientific name
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Lemna spp., Wolffia
spp., Spirodela spp.
Water hyacinth
Eichhornia crassipes
Water lettuce
Water spinach
Pistia stratiotes
Ipomoea aquatica
Water fern family
Azolla spp.
Characteristics
Troublesome waterweed: chokes water
ways, free floating.
High yielding, high in protein, sugars, fat
and sufficient crude fibre; production in the
tropics averages 25/tons/ha/yr.
Troublesome waterweed: chokes water
ways, free floating production 150,000 to
300,000 kg per hectare per year; leaves
and stem can be used; food conversion 45
to 50.
Vegetable.
Variable water and marsh plant, very palatable as vegetable for humans, high yielding, can also cover dykes.
Capable of doubling weight in 3 to 10 days;
high protein and crude fibre content, but
low in sugar, production 150 tons/ha/yr.
57
Appendix 3: Grasses as fish food

Table 2: Common grasses suitable for use as fish food
Common name
Scientific name
Barnyard grass/millet Echinochloa crusgalli
(million dollar grass)
Cassava (manManihot spp.
ioc/tapioca)
Guinea grass (colonial/tanganyika/land
grass)
Hybrid napier grass
(elephant/uganda
grass)
Panicum maximum
Lalang grass
Imperata rundinacea
Napier grass (elephant/uganda grass)
Pennisetum pupureum
Para grass (california/water/mauritius

grass, giant couch)
Rye grass
Brachiaria mutica
Star grass
Sudan grass
58
Pennisetum americanum
Lolium spp.
Cynodon plectostachyus
Sorghum sudanense
Characteristics
Tall, robust annual, grows vigorously, 60 to
120 cm tall.
First cutting at 40 cm from the ground 8
weeks after planting, then every 4 weeks;
chopped leaves and tubers used.
Tall, vigorous tufted perennial, stems up to
3.5 m; cut at 60 to 90 cm; needs moist soils.
Tall, erect perennial with thick stems up to
4.5 m; drought resistant; first cutting at 7 cm
from the ground at 7 weeks after planting;
then cut every 4 weeks at 10 to 15 cm;
chopped leaves and stems used; production 225,000 to 300,000 kg per hectare;
food conversion 25 to 30; can be cropped
for 5 years.
Highland grass, up to 40 cm; extremely
drought resistant; palatable if cut frequently.
Tall, erect perennial with thick stems up to
4.5 m; needs moist soils; first cutting at 7
cm from the ground 7 weeks after planting;
then cut every 4 weeks at 10-15 cm;
chopped leaves and stems used; production 225,000 to 450,000 kg per hectare;
food conversion 30 to 40.
Very long trailing stems up to 2.5 m; broad
hairy leaves; needs wet soils, protein rich.
Adapted to low temperatures; cut frequently; leaves and stems used; production
75,000 to 150,000 kg per hectare; food
conversion 17 to 23.
Also stabilizes pond dykes.
Slender annual; leafy stems up to 3 m;
drought resistant; cut frequently; leaves and
stems used; production 150,000 to 225,000
kg per hectare; food conversion 19 to 28.

Table 3: Common plant crops suitable for use as fish food
Common name
Bean family
Cabbage family (includes mustard)

Centro
Scientific name
Mucana spp.,
Phaseolus vulgaris,
Vigna spp.
Brassica spp.
Centrosema pubescens
Ipil-ipil (lead tree)
Leucaena leucocephala
Maize, corn
Zea mays
Puero (kudzu)
Pueraria phaseoloides
Cucurbita spp.
Comfrey symphytum
Sorghum spp.
Stylosanthes humilis
Saccharum officinarum
Ipomoea batatas
Pumpkin family
Romanian lettuce
Sorghum family
Stylo
Sugar cane
Sweet potato
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Characteristics
Edible beans and/or pods.
Mustard meal contains toxic substances.

Creeping, perennial herb, very leafy, fairly
drought. Resistant, vigorous and fast
growth.
Legumes: first cutting at 50 cm from the
ground 8 weeks after planting, then every
10 weeks at 30 cm from the ground;
chopped leaves also used.
Very palatable and highly nutritious, grown
in dry season.
Vigorous, dense growing vine; needs moist
clay soils; palatable and high yielding.
Vegetable.
Vegetable.
Vegetable.
Erect annual herb up to 1 m, narrow leaves.
Vegetable, leaves can be used.
Creeping plant with perennial vines; needs
moist soils and more than 4 months of
warm weather; leaves and stem are good
fish feed.
Vegetable.
59
60
ON
CC
irrigated
(pond)
rice-fishduck
Philippines
Indonesia
IMC
ON
CC/ON/P
G/AN
CC/ON/P
G
TR/OM
deepwater
deepwater
(rice-Azolafish (trench)
rainfed
(pond)
irrigated
(pond)
irrigated
(pond)
India
India
Thailand
Thailand
Zambia
MF/PG
CC/ON
irrigated
(trench)
Philippines
rainfed saIndonesia
(East Java) wah-tambak
(trench)
Fish species
System
(refuge
type)
Country
60
100
55/55
50
50
33/17
Fish density (100

m)

90
fingerlings 50
2-3 cm
fingerlings 32
19 g
275 g
5-7 cm
5g
3g
5/1 g
Fish size
ng
11
28
19
ng
ng
23
ng
23
ng
117
60
60
Supa
(trad.)
15
K100,000
4.2
1.2
2.6
ng
ng
21
ng
ng
Rice yield Net inco(kg/100

me (US$/
m)
100 m)
RD-6
35
(glutinous)
glutinous
(trad.)
CR1009
(trad.)
NC-492
(trad.)
ng
IR64
(modern)
IR64
(modern)
IR66
(modern)
Fish yield Rice vari(kg/100

ety
m)
Table 4: Production figures for different integrated rice-fish culture

systems
Legend:
ng = not given
trad. = traditional rice variety
AN = Aristhichthys nobilis (grass carp)
CC = Cyprinus carpio (common carp)
IMC = Indian major carps
MF = Chanos chanos (milkfish)
OM = Oreochromis macrochir (tilapia)
ON = Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia)
PG = Puntius goniotus (silver barb)
TR = Tilapia rendalli (tilapia)
61

Fish species
Black carp
Catfish
Catla carp
Cichlid species
Common carp
Crucian carp
Gourami
Grass carp
Grey mullet
Javanese barb
Leafhoppers
Mrigal carp
Nile tilapia
Rohu carp
Silver barb
Silver carp
Silver striped catfish
Snakehead
Snakeskin gourami
Stem borers
Tilapia
= Mylopharyngodon piceus
= Clarias spp. and Pangasius spp.
= Catla catla
= Haplochromus spp., Haplochromus mellandi
= Cyprinus carpio
= Carassius carassius
= Osphronemus goramy
= Ctenopharyngodon idella
= Mugil cephalus
= Puntius javanicus
= Nephotettrix spp., Nilaparvata spp., Recilia
spp.
= Cyrrhina mrigala
= Oreochromis niloticus
= Labeo rohita
= Puntius gonionotus
= Hypothalmichthys molitrix
= Pangasius sutchi
= Channa spp.
= Trichogaster pectoralis
= Scirpophaga spp.
= Sarotherodon spp., Tilapia spp. and Oreochromis spp.
Plant species
Alligator weed
Ash guard
Barnyard grass
Blue green algae
Cassava
62
= Alternantha philoxeroides
= Benincasa cerifera
= Echinochloa spp.
= Anabaena azolla
= Manihot esculenta
Climbing perch
Elephant ear or taro
Fresh water fern Azolla
Ipil-ipil tree
Ladyfinger
Morning glory
Napier grass
Papaya
Ridge gourd
Rosewood
Sesbania
Sesbania tree
Water chestnut
Water fern
Water hyacinth
= Anabas testudineus
= Colocasia spp.
= Azolla pinnata
= Leucaena spp.
= Hibiscus esculentus
= Ipomoea aquatica
= Pennisetum purpureum
= Carica papaya
= Luffa acutangula
= Dalbergia lablab
= Sesbania grandiflora
= Sesbania spp.
= Trapa bispinosa
= Azolla pinnata
= Eichornia crassipes
Others
Golden apple snail
= Pomacea canaliculata
63
Further reading
Bardach, J.E., Sustainable acquaculture. 1997, pp. 251, Wiley, New
york, USA. ISBN: 0-471-14829-6.
Brummett, R.E., Aquaculture policy options for integral resource
management in sub-saharan Africa. ICLARM Proceedings, 1994,
pp. 38, ICLARM (International centre for living acquatic resource
management, Manila, Philippines.
Costa-pierce, Barry A.; Rakocy, James E., Tilapia acquaculture in
the Americas. 2000, pp. 264, Baton Rouge : The world acquaculture
society, ISBN: 1888070400.
Cruz, C.R.dela; Lightfoot, C. ; Costa-Pierce, B.A., Proceedings of the
rice-fish farming research and development & Proceedings of
rice-fish farming systems research and development workshops.
Rice -fish Research and Development in Asia, 1992, pp. 457,
ICLARM (International centre for living acquatic resource management, Manila, Philippines. ISBN: 971-1022-88-5.
F.A.O, Integrated agriculture-acquaculture: A primer. 2001, pp.
149, FAO, Rome, Italy. ISBN: 92-5-104599-2.
Caguan, A.G. Overview of the potential roles of pisciculture on
pests and diseases control and nutrient management in ricefields.
1995. In: The management of integrated freshwater agro-piscicultural
ecosystems in tropical areas. p.203-244. Seminar, Brussels 16-19 May
1994. Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA)
and Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences.
Das.D.N, fish farming in rice environments of north eastern India.
2002, Acquaculture India, India.
64
Fermin, F.V. The adaptation of rice-fish farming technology: the

case of Mang Isko in cavite, Philippines. 1992. In: Dela Cruz, C.R.,
Lightfoot, C., Costa-pierce, B.A., Carangal, V.R. and Bimbao, M.P.
Rice-fish Research and Development in Asia. p.333-338. ICLARM
Conference Proceedings no. 24. ICLARM. Manila, Philippines.
Gupta, M.V., Integrating acquaculture with rice farming in Bangladesh: feasibility and econonim viabilit, its adoption and impact.
ICLARM Contribution, 1998, pp. 90, ICLARM, Manila, Philippines.
ISBN: 9718709967.
Halwart, M. Fish as biocontrol agents in rice: the potential of
common carp Cyprinus carpio (L.) and Nile tilapia Oreochromis
niloticus (L.). 1995. Margraf Verlag. Weikersheim, Germany. 169p.
Kumar, D., Fish culture in undrainable ponds : a manual for extension. 1992, pp. 239, FAO, Rome, Italy. ISBN: 92-5-103139-8.
Lock, K. ; VSO, Voluntary Service Overseas, Integrated fish farming in the tropics. 1997, pp. 57, STAOS/Agromisa, Wageningen, The
Netherlands. ISBN: 9052850100.
Milstein, A. Can organic fertilization suffice to intensify fishfarming integrated production systems? 1995. In: The management
of integrated freshwater agro-piscicultural ecosystems in tropical areas. p.531-546. Seminar, Brussels 16-19 May 1994. Technical Centre
for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA) and Royal Academy of
Overseas Sciences.
Mathias J.A ;Charles A . T.; Hu, B.; Integrated fish farming. 1998,
pp. 420, Boca Raton, China. ISBN: 1-56670-260-7.
Noble, R.P and rashidi, B., Acquaculture technolgy transfer to
smallholder farmers in Malawi, Southern africa., 1990, pp. PP 1416
Further reading
65
References
Edwards, P and Kaewpaitoon, K. Fish culture for small-scale farmers. 1984. Environmental Sanitation Center, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand. 44p.
ICLARM and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR).

Farmer-proven integrated agriculture-aquaculture: a technology
information kit. 1992. ICLARM Contribution no.807. ICLARM.
Manila, Philippines.
Little, D. and Muir, J. A guide to integrated warmwater aquaculture. 1987. Institute of aquaculture, University of Stirling, Scotland,
UK. 238p.
66
Useful addresses
FAO, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
FAO's mandate is to raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural
productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the
growth of the world economy. Make sure people have regular access
to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
Viale delle terme di carcalla, Rome, Italy
Telephone: (+39) 06 57051; Fax: (+39) 06 570 53152
E-mail:FAO-HQ@fao.org; web-site: www.fao.org
WUR-Zodiac, Wageningen University & Research Centrum, ZodiacAnimal Science Department
Marijkeweg 40, 6709 PG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Telephone: 31-(0)317-48 39 52; Fax: 31-(0)317-483962
E-mail:Zodiac.library@wur.nl; web-site: www.zod.wau.nl
World Fish Center
The World fish center is an international organization committed to
contributing to food security and poverty eradication in developing
countries. This is achieved through research, partenership capacity and
policy support on living acquatic resources.
P.O.Box 500, GPO, Penang, Malaysia
Telephone: (+60-4)626 1606; Fax: Fax: (+60-4) 626 5530
E-mail:worldfishcenter@cgiar.org; web-site: www.worldfishcenter.org
RIVO, Netherlands Institute for fisheries research
The Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research is a research and consultancy organization that covers all stages of fish production from the
sustainability of catch up to the appreciation of fish products by the
consumer. Its abilities and strengths in these fields are recognised by
national and international fish-related communities (governmental and
commercial), by the scientific community and by non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).
PObox 68, 1970 AB, 1970 AB, IJmuiden, The Netherlands
Telephone: 31 (0)255564646; Fax: 31(0)2555646 44
E-mail:visserijonderzoek.asg@wur.nl; web-site: www.rivo.dlo.nl
Useful addresses
67

AD21 - On Farm Fish Culture

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Agrodok 21

On-farm fish culture

Agromisa Foundation, Wageningen, 2004.

Principles of integrated fish culture

Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

Integrated rice and fish culture

Integrating animal production with fish culture

On-farm fish culture

Integrating fish culture with other farm animals

Appendix 1: Fish species

Appendix 2: Water plants as fish food

Appendix 3: Grasses as fish food

Appendix 4: Plant crops as fish food

Appendix 5: Production figures

Appendix 6: Latin names

Advantages of integrating fish farming

The advantages of integrated farming include:

On-farm fish culture

erosion takes place. These long-term advantages outweigh any others

Principles of integrated fish

The biology of a fish pond

Figure 1: Naturally occurring fish food seen through a magnifying

On-farm fish culture

Principles of integrated fish culture

Fertilizer application has a large influence on the oxygen content and

Management of fertilizer application

Good fertilizer practice is important to maintain water quality and to

On-farm fish culture

Fertilizing the bottom of the pond

Principles of integrated fish culture

Figure 3: Checking the amount of fertilizer using the lower arm.

Plant material can also be used as fertilizer in or on the pond bottom

On-farm fish culture

Plant by-products and animal manure

Plant material (by-products and waste) can be used directly as fish

Choice of fish species

Principles of integrated fish culture

Food supplements for fish

On-farm fish culture

Plant material for fish food and

Composting plant material has a number of advantages. Where there is

Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

Figure 4: Example of how to make a compost heap.

On-farm fish culture

Dry 1,000 kg of water hyacinth in the

Waste or by-products from land plant cultivation can be used as fish

Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

On-farm fish culture

Figure 6: Food conversions for products in an integrated fishmulberry-silk system.

Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

Figure 7: Morning glory in bloom (Halwart, 1995).

On-farm fish culture

is also much cheaper to harvest these

Figure 9: Different types of duckweed.

Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

They grow in the mud at the bottom

On-farm fish culture

Nutritional value of plants

Plant material for fish food and fertilizer

Example: To provide enough protein for a family of five you need to