In fish hatchery activities, broodstock maintenance is one of the most influential factors on the quality and quantity of seed produced. In this activity, there are several things that must be considered which include:
Container for rearing brood fish.
The container used for rearing brood fish can be in the form of an earthen pond or a concrete pond. It is better if the maintenance container is equipped with a "waring" (waring is a net made of woven plastic which is usually used to protect plants or fish ponds) whose size is adjusted to the size of the fish pond.
The use of this waring aims to make it easier when selecting brood fish. In broodstock ponds, the pond water level is between 1.2 - 1.5 m with a density of 2-3 brood fish in 1 m2.
To facilitate the management of maintenance containers in fish ponds, it is advisable to install inlet and outlet water pipes.
The quality of the water in the rearing pond is a temperature ranging from 25 - 30 degrees Celsius, pH 6.0 - 8.5 and dissolved oxygen content greater than 4 mg/liter.
Feed for brood fish
The feed given to the brood fish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus can be in the form of artificial feed with protein content between 28-32%. The content of this feed greatly affects the quality of the eggs produced.
Feeding was done 2 times a day, in the morning and evening. The amount of feed given was 2% of the total weight of the parent fish that were kept.
For example, if the number of broodstock is 50 with an average weight of one brood fish of 3 kg, the total weight of the broodstock being reared is 150 kg. The feed that must be given is 2% of 150 kg, as much as 3 kg. This feed is divided into two parts, 1.5 kg is given in the morning and 1.5 kg is given in the afternoon.