In Colombia and the rest of the world, the decrease in capture fisheries production has turned the aquaculture into an alternative source of protein for the populations food security as well as an important productive activity, generating employment and income for the rural communities. The Colombian pisciculture is based on red Tilapia Oreochromis sp. (Linnaeus), Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) and cachama blanca Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier), which currently represent around 96% of the total national production. The remaining 4% comes from other farmed species such as bocachico Prochilodus magdalenae (Steindachner), carp Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus) and yamúBrycon amazonicus (Spix & Agassiz). From the three main fish species, cachama blanca is the only native species, which has shown excellent performance in pond farming due to its rusticity, omnivorous habits, docility, meat quality, food conversion and disease resistance. The limited offer of Colombian fish farmed species determines its currently low competitiveness and restricted impact on the international markets; thus making necessary to explore the potential of new fish species in order to introduce them to the pisciculture system and to expand the range of fish farming species. A good alternative is the introduction of native catfish, which have great potential for fish farming activity.

The aim of this study was to assess the zootechnical performance and water quality of a cachama blanca (Piaractus brachypomus ) culture using biofloc technology (BFT) versus a system with daily water exchange (DWE). To do this, 180 juveniles (mean initial weight: 5.40 ± 0.19 g) were distributed in 12 circular plastic tanks with stocking densities of 20 or 40 individuals m³; then, they were cultured for 91 days. BFT treatments kept a C:N ratio approximately of 15:1. Temperature, pH and oxygen were monitored daily, while the other variables were measured weekly. Most productive variables were significantly influenced by both culture system and stocking density with significantly higher values of daily weight gain, total weight gain and total length for fish kept in DWE 20. However, only minor differences were observed within the BFT system. With the exception of the toxic nitrogen compounds (NH₄⁺ and NO₂⁻), all the other water quality parameters were within the acceptable ranges for the cultivation of tropical fish. Microorganisms started to settle from the first week. A total of 23 genera were present, the most outstanding of which being seven genera of ciliates and three rotifers, rhizopods and chlorophytes. In conclusion, both systems BFT and DWE are useful for increasing the production of P. brachypomus in captivity. Additionally, the BFT system can potentially be applied for growing juveniles of this specie in regions with scarce water resources.

Osmolality, the concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride, and the concentrations of ions such as Na+, Cl−, K+, and Mg2+ in the seminal plasma of yamú Brycon amazonicus were evaluated during one reproductive season. Semen quality and the relationship between spermatocrit and sperm concentration were examined over two reproductive seasons. Activation time, spermatocrit, and sperm concentration were significantly higher in 2003 than in 2004. Spermatocrit and sperm concentration showed a significant positive relationship (r 2 = 0.79). During the 2004 reproductive season, a significant variation was observed for spermatocrit and sperm concentration between the initial period (February 15th to March 14th) and the middle and final periods (March 15th to April 14th and April 15th to May 14th, respectively). Neither the ion concentrations nor the glucose and cholesterol concentrations varied between any periods of the reproductive season. Osmolality and triglyceride concentrations showed significant variations between periods during the reproductive season.