Catla fish requires careful attention to be placed into the pond at the correct time of year. The growth of catla fish is dependent upon the environmental condition in which they are raised. If the conditions for the growth of the catla are correct, the catla will grow quick.
However, if the conditions is not correct, the growth of the catla will be slow. The farmer can utilize a growth rate chart to track the growth of the catla, and which conditions is required to ensure that the catla reach there full growth potential. Farmers typically begin to monitor the growth of the catla when they reach the fingerling stage.
How to Use a Growth Rate Chart for Catla Fish
During the first three months after they are introduced to the pond, the growth of the catla is particularly important; if the catla are not growing at an expected rate during this initial period, they will rarely reach those same rates of growth during the remainder of their time in the pond. The growth rate chart display the growth of the catla during this period, and the consistency of the growth rate allow farmers to use the chart to determine if the pond in which the catla are raised is performing in the expected manner. One of the factors that impact the growth of the catla is the temperature of the pond.
Catla fish are best between temperatures of twenty-five and thirty-two degrees; they will eat well and efficient convert there feed to energy in this range. If the temperature drops to twenty degrees or below, however, the catla will eat but the growth of the fish will drop. If the temperature increase to thirty-six degrees or above, the catla will become stressed, leading to a decrease in their appetite and movement within the pond.
The growth rate chart includes a section dedicated to temperature, explaining why two ponds of catla may have different outcomes despite the efforts of the farmers to provide for the same conditions to each population. The feeding of the catla must also change with the size of the individuals. Small catla fish will require feeding diet that include more meals throughout the day due to their smaller stomachs and higher metabolic rates.
As the catla grow, though, farmers can supply fewer meals that contain more food and include percentages of the body weight of the catla fish. The growth rate chart describes these feeding schedules according to the growth phase of the catla. Overfeeding the catla waste money and lead to fouling of the ponds water, while underfeeding the catla prevent them from growing to the weights that are expected of such fish of their age.
Polyculture methods of raising the catla may include the inclusion of other type of catla fish into the pond. Because the catla fish tend to feed near the surface of the water, the species may also include fish that feed in the middle of the water column or those that feed near the bottom of the pond. The growth rate chart for catla fish includes a diagram that display how each of these species may utilize the same pond, and the contribution of each of these species to the ecosystem.
While it may appear that preparation of the pond prior to the introduction of the catla is an unnecessary step, skipping this step will result in slower growth of the catla fish. Liming and organic fertilization of the pond encourage the growth of plankton, the primary food of the catla fish. While the growth rate chart does not include exact quantity to perform such preparation of the pond, it does focus upon the importance of water quality and availability of plankton.
By preparing the pond for the introduction of catla fish, the fish will spend less of their energy performing behavior like searching for food, and more of their energy will be dedicated to growth. The growth rate chart also influence the timing of the harvest of the catla fish. For many farmers, one year is the length of time needed to harvest the fish, and the fish will have reached the market weight at this age.
However, other farmers may wish to allow the fish additional time to grow to reach even higher weights. Higher weights may allow for the fish to be sold for more money. Farmers make such a decision based off the market for the fish, the cost of feed for the age of the catla, and how full the pond is becoming of catla fish.
The growth rate chart allow farmers to make such a decision with confidence in the information available for consideration. Beyond the basic management of the catla fish, the growth rate chart also provide information that makes it possible to recognize potential problem in the pond. If the weight of the catla fish is not reaching the weights that are expected at six or nine months, for example, there is time to adjust the water level in the pond, the feeding of the catla, or even to thin the population of catla fish in the pond.
By recognizing these different potential problems early, farmers can steer their fish towards a better harvest, rather than a poor harvest that may occur if they manage the fish according to a method that does not account for such potential issue. You should of used a growth rate chart to ensure the fish grows properly. It is actualy very helpful for larg scale farming.
