Keywords: Sahar, growth performance, different culture

An experiment was conducted to assess the growth performance of Sahar (Tor putitora) in different culture systems at the fish farm of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal during 11 October 2002- 20 March 2003 for 160 days. The experiment was carried out in eight earthen ponds of 40 m² ( 8 m × 5 m) size each partitioned from 4 ponds of 80 m²size and four cages each of 1.5 m × 1.5 m × 1.10 m in an another 450 m² (30 m × 15 m ) pond. The study consisted of 3 treatments with 4 replications. Treatments were: monoculture of Sahar (T₁), polyculture of Sahar and Nile tilapia at 1:1 ratio (T₂) and cage culture of Sahar (T₃). Sahar fingerling of 5-6 g size was stocked @ 1 fish/m²in mono and polyculture treatments and 5 fish/m³ in cage culture treatments and Nile tilapia of 5-6 g size was stocked at 1 fish/m² in polyculture treatment. Fish were fed with pellet feed of 35% CP at 3% of body weight daily. The feed ingredients were 92% dry matter, 35% crude protein, 9% ether extract, 7% crude fiber, 8% total ash and 41% nitrogen free extract in dry weight basis. Mean total individual weight gain of Sahar was 20.6, 17.1 and 10.3 g and survivability was 51.3, 33.1, and 100% in T₁, T₂ and T₃, respectively. Whereas, mean total weight gain and survivability of tilapia in polyculture treatment (T₂) was 67.2 g and 70%, respectively. The mean daily growth rate of Sahar was 0.13, 0.10 and 0.07 g in T₁, T₂ and T₃, respectively. Likewise, the mean daily growth rate of tilapia in polyculture treatment was 0.42 g. Furthermore; mean individual weight gain, growth rate and survivability of Sahar in pond culture (mean of mono and polyculture) was 18.9 g, 0.12 g/d and 42.2%, respectively, However, individual weight gain, survivability and growth rate of Sahar in monoculture (T₁) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the polyculture of Sahar and Nile tilapia treatment (T2). Similarly, individual weight gain, and growth rate of Sahar in pond culture was significantly higher (P<0.05) from the weight gain and growth rate of Sahar in cage culture (T3) but survivability was significantly lower (P<0.05) than the cage culture of Sahar treatments (T3). Overall growth performance of Sahar in winter season was not very encouraging and more precise further studies are recommended to conduct during summer season.