VERIFICATION PROGRAM FOR
CATFISH SPLIT POND PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Introduction

Research Verification has a thirty year history of success in Arkansas beginning in the early 1980’s with cotton and expanding to other crops shortly thereafter. In 1993 a Pilot Catfish Verification Program was initiated by the Cooperative Extension Service and Program to provide support to the catfish industry. The initial program proved very successful.

A second Catfish Verification Program began in 1998 with a refined management protocol. The program was expanded to include both food fish and fingerlings and was highly successful.

In 2003, a new Interdisciplinary Verification Committee consisting of research and extension personnel was formed to develop a revised set of management practices based on current research, practical experience, and findings from previous verification trials. These management practices formed the basis of the specific management protocol for the third Arkansas Catfish Research Verification Program (CRVP). This program is still in existence and will continue once a new verification coordinator is hired.

With the downturn in the catfish industry due to foreign competition and high energy and feed costs, producers are searching for more efficient means to grow catfish. One such possibility is the Split Pond Production System (SPPS) which will be detailed in this document.

The SPPS is not a new concept; Les Torrans presented the idea of a split pond system in an issue of Arkansas Aquaculture 2(2), Apr-June, 1984. Some years later, Dr. Craig Tucker constructed a working model of the system. His initial efforts were unsuccessful due to mortalities caused by proliferative gill disease (PGD). However, once hybrid catfish were introduced into the system, plus the addition of small mouth buffalo to control the Dero worm, the causative agent of PGD, Dr. Tucker’s system has been a tremendous success. Even today, Dr. Tucker recommends the use of the small mouth buffalo in these type systems, provided the fish can be procured.

Understanding the Split Pond Production System

Normal size catfish ponds, usually 10 – 14 acres, are used in the SPPS. A levee is constructed, splitting the pond into two parts, one area containing roughly 85 percent of the original pond, and the other part the remaining 15 percent of the acreage. The levee is designed so that water can be circulated between the ponds via paddlewheels or pumps and also contains a partition type device to maintain all of the fish in the smaller portion of the pond. The larger part of the pond serves as a waste treatment area where the biological processes of the pond occur.  During the day, waste-treated, oxygenated water is continually being circulated through the smaller pond via a paddlewheel or pump.  At night when oxygen levels begin to decline, oxygen production switches over and maintained via aerators.  Since the feeding, aeration, and harvesting all takes place in the smaller area of the pond, this system should be more efficient than typical pond production of catfish.

OBJECTIVES

1. Verify the utility of research-based Extension recommendations of optimizing profits of split pond production systems.

2. Develop a database of key production parameters, production costs, feed conversion ratios, yield, and survival, for split pond production systems.

3. Identify areas where further research is needed.

4. Improve and refine existing Extension recommendations.

5. Incorporate the data and findings into the Extension education program at the county and state level.

6. Improve the county Extension agents’ expertise on this subject.

7. Increase the cooperating catfish producers’ understanding of research based Extension recommendations.

8. Increase the number of cooperating producers utilizing Extension based recommendations following the end of this program.

RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF SPLIT POND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

POND SIZE

The protocol of the original Catfish Verification program called for more manageable size ponds, 10 to 15 acres in size. This should be adhered to in the SPPS program. Split ponds should be designed so that production can take place in an area that is approximately 15 to 20 percent of the total pond area.

Some means to facilitate water circulation is needed in the larger segment of the split pond, which can be accomplished with a paddlewheel or screw pump.  One alternative is a baffle levee. This is a shorter levee built about half the length of the levees in the larger segment of the split pond.

WATER SOURCE

As with the original Catfish Verification Program, ground water should be used. The supply should be adequate to completely fill a 10 acre pond within a 10 day time period.

WATER QUALITY

Water quality should be maintained in a range that is considered adequate for catfish production. Chloride levels should be a minimum of 100 ppm at all times. Total alkalinity should be in the desirable range of 75 to 200 ppm as CaCO₃ . 

Total ammonia nitrogen levels should be maintained at 5.0 ppm or less. Nitrite levels should be maintained at levels below 1 ppm.

Water quality data from cooperating ponds will be analyzed to determine parameters that may affect fish health and overall pond production.  A UAPB Extension Specialist will measure water quality tests of ammonia and water flow on both sides of the split pond systems weekly.  Flow rate and ammonia will be specifically measured at the points of outflow to the larger pond and inflow to the smaller pond.  Nitrite will only be measured when disease or an ammonia spike occurs.   Other parameters such as chloride, alkalinity and hardeness will be tested at stocking, harvest, mid-summer and after any heavy rains.  All parameters will be tested upon disease occurrence or excessive mortality as deemed necessary.

Aeration

The production units should be equipped with aerator(s) to supplement oxygen plus an additional tractor powered unit for emergency uses. When dissolved oxygen levels are above 4 ppm, water should be circulated through both units of the pond. When oxygen levels drop below three parts per million, the circulation through both units should be suspended until oxygen levels improve to 4 ppm throughout the whole system.  Typically water circulation between both ponds should occur during the day while supplemental aeration (via aerators) should occur in the smaller pond unit at night.

Stocking

Due to fish health concerns, it is recommended that only hybrid channel X blue catfish be grown in these systems. The stocking rate is recommended at 10,000 per acre across the whole unit. The single batch production system is suggested for use in this system, unless the “Heikes” grader is available.   However, it is acceptable for cooperators to use more conservative stocking rates initially.  Verification coordinator and an additional aquaculture extension specialist should be present at all stockings and harvests to measure stocking rate and size distributions of fish.

Feeding

Feeding practices will involve satiation feeding. Feed type is the 28% to 32% 3/16” pellet.  It is recommended that the 28% feed type should be used based on research showing no significant difference in production between the 28% and 32% feed types.  It is also advised that farmers do not switch feed types during the growout period.  Verification coordinator and/or  extension aquaculture specialists should observe feeding at weekly farm visits to document feeding rates, time of feeding and occurrence of food wasted.

HARVESTING

Flavor testing should be initiated when the earliest market size fish are seen. Harvest should start once the majority of the fish have reached minimal harvest size. Off flavor ponds can be treated with Karmex or Diurex following label recommendations.  The verification coordinator plus one to two additional extension aquaculture specialists should be present to record yields and measure no less than 100 fish to determine size distribution.

FISH HEALTH MANAGEMENT

Farmers should immediately report and transport sick fish to the diagnostic laboratory for analysis. Care must be taken to collect a representative sample of the sick fish rather than snagging fish at random. The fish should be placed in a cooler covered with ice along with an 8 ounce sample of water in a clean container.

RECORD KEEEPING

The following records should be maintained by the cooperator:

-Stocking Records - lb/acre, total head, length distribution (50 fish sample)

-Harvest Records – avg. weight (50 fish sample), total yield (lb), FCR

Weekly Records

By cooperator:

-Daily Feeding Time and amount (not done until aerators go off – between 11am-4pm)

-Feed duration

-Feed Wasted – monitored weekly to note any feed waste

-Mortality Estimates

- Pond Treatments or Medications

-Document costs of repairs or additional labor (cleaning screans, fixing paddlewheel, etc.)

From Oxygen monitoring system:

-Oxygen Records*

-Temperature

- Aeration hours for both electric and PTO units

-Circulation Hours (paddlewheel)

Verification coordinator:

- NH3 (in both sections of split pond)

-Water flow (measured at 6/10 depth of culvert flowing into fish section)

-pH (in both sections of split pond)

­Other Records

-Chloride, Nitrite, alkalinity, and hardness (should all be measured at time of stocking, in mid-summer, at harvest and any time an ammonia spike or heavy mortality occurs)

-Flavor Checks

-Cost to construct system, including cost of materials, labor, installation, and equipment

-Records of all operating expenses, fixed expenses, and revenues should be maintained and analyzed annually to assess financial status of the enterprise.

*An oxygen monitoring device is required

WORKER SAFETY

Farm workers should be given proper instruction on farm safety at least once a year. Check with the diagnostic laboratory concerning the availability of the “Fish Farm Safety Video, which is available in English and Spanish.