Determine the Growth Performance of Redclaw, Cherax quadricarinatus in Aquaponics System

Abstract

There is a little report obtainable about the redclaw, Cherax quadricarinatus in Malaysia. Therefore, the present study was come out. The study aimed to determine the growth performance of redclaw, Cherax quadricarinatus and Pak Choi, Brassica rapa chinensis. A total of 28 individuals for C. quadricarinatus were used in the present study. There were two treatments; control (without aquaponics) and treatment (with aquaponics). In the present study, C. quadricarinatus were cultured for 28 days at Fish Propagation House, Politeknik Jeli Kelantan. Body weight (BW), body length (BL) of C. quadricarinatus and length of Pak Choi were measured for every week. BL and BW for control and treatment for day 28 were 9.58 ± 0.17 cm, 11.13 ± 0.60 cm, 17.08 ± 0.53 g and 19.93 ± 0.48 g. The lengths of Pak Choi for day 0 were 2.58 ± 0.11 cm and after day 28, the lengths of Pak Choi were 9.08 ± 0.37 cm. The results showed BW and BL increased when cultured in aquaponics system than without aquaponics system. Besides, the survival rate (%) was higher (75 %) in aquaponics system than without aquaponics system. In the present study, growth performances of C. quadricarinatus and Pak Choi in aquaponics system give a high chance in survival and grow faster rather than C. quadricarinatus that cultured without aquaponics system. Thus, the aquaponics system was a suitable system to culture the C. quadicarinatus.