Monosex tilapia farming has taken an important role in the fish farming business throughout the world. Monosex tilapia has great demand and value in the local and international market. As a result monosex tilapia farming rate is growing day by day. There are some other important reasons for gradually increasing the monosex tilapia farming. Generally, they have high ability of taking natural feed from pond, good interest in supplementary feed, surviving capacity in adverse weather and they have high diseases resistance power. Along with this, the demand of this fish in international market is increasing day by day.

Tilapia fish can survive in 12° to 40° centigrade temperature and grow well in 16° to 35° temperature. You can produce monosex tilapia in your pond for twice a year. The main problem of tilapia fish farming is it’s unconditioned propagate. As a result we can see different aged and sized tilapia fish in the pond and we can’t get desired production. Naturally male tilapia grows rapidly than female. Separating the male tilapia and raising them separately is called monosex tilapia fish farming. This types of fish grow faster and well adopted to supplementary feed. You can raise them in high density and they never make hole in the pond for breeding. Commercial monosex tilapia farming is very profitable business. I am describing the methods of monosex tilapia farming below.

Monosex Tilapia Farming Method
Monosex tilapia are raised through two steps in two ponds. They are raised in nursing and stocking pond. This type of farming system can maximize production.

Nursing Pond Selection
A pond with 1.5 to 4 feet depth is ideal for monosex tilapia nursing. Consider the followings while selecting nursing pond.

• The pond must have to be free form flood.
• Sufficient amount of sunlight is very important.
• The pond must have to be free from all types of harmful aquatic weeds.

Nursing Pond Management
Nursing pond management systems for monosex tilapia farming are shortly described below.

• First of all remove water from the pond and make it dry. If it is not possible to dry the pond, use medicines or chemicals for eradicating cannibalistic and unwanted fishes from the pond.
• After that apply 100 kg lime, 500-700 kg dung, 10-15 kg urea, 5-7.5 kg TSP and 2 kg MOP per acre.
• Prevent entrance of frog, snakes and other harmful predators by making a fence with net surrounding the pond.
• After 5-7 days of applying fertilizers, stock 21-28 days aged monosex tilapia in the pond. Stock 100000-200000 monosex tilapia minnow per acre.
• Apply highly protein enriched (about 35%) feed at the rate of 10-15% of the body weight of total stocked fish. For example if you stock 100 kg fish in the pond then apply 10-15 kg feed daily. Don’t serve all the feeds at once a day. Instead serve the feed 3-4 times a day. Raise the fish in this system for 40-60 days and after that transfer them to stocking pond when each fish weights about 20-30 grams.

Stocking Pond Management
The stocking pond management systems are shortly described below.

• The depth of stocking pond may vary in accordance with your location. There are no problems if the depth of stocking pond become more than nursing pond.
• Remove all types of cannibalistic and unwanted fishes from the pond by drying, pulling net or using medicines or chemicals.
• After that apply 100 kg lime, 500-700 kg dung, 10-15 kg urea, 5-7.5 kg TSP and 2 kg MOP per acre in the pond.
• After 5-7 days of applying fertilizer, natural fish feeds will automatically grow in the pond. Stock 20-30 grams body weight fish in the stocking pond that you have raised in your nursing pond. You can stock 20000-25000 fish per acre.
• To ensure natural feed in the pond you can apply 400-500 kg dung, 200-300 kg chicken excreta, 3.5 kg urea and 2 kg TSP per acre after every seven days. Stop applying fertilizer if you feed your fish supplementry fish feed.
• Try to change the water of pond daily at the rate of 5% when the fish reach more than 100 grams body weight. Doing this will make good result in total production.
• Monosex tilapia reach 200-250 grams body weight within 100-120 days after stocking. You can start selling from this time. But for high rate you have to wait until they reach 300-500 grams.

Feeding
Feeding the fish good and nutritious food is very important for commercial monosex tilapia production. You can feed the fish those foods that are available in the market for tilapia fish. Feeding chart of different aged tilapia are shown below.

Commercial monosex tilapia farming can play an important role for making the people economically strong and fulfilling the protein and nutritional demand. Popularity of monosex tilapia farming business is increasing rapidly. They are very fast growing, strong and diseases are less. So, if you are thinking about starting fish farming business then you can start monosex tilapia farming. I have discussed with many people and it’s really very profitable business.