Abstract
The article presents the results of pilot project of the Nile tilapia fingerlings ( Oreochromis niloticus ) breeding for commercial needsin fish farms of the Almaty region, Republic of Kazakhstan. Pilot fingerlings are cultivated from fingerlings grown in the reservoirs supplied with water from the geothermal well. The article provides values of fish-breeding and biological characteristics of the Nile tilapia commercial fingerlings grown in monocultural and polycultural ponds together with two-year-old species of grass carp and pike-perch. There has been given analysis of economic efficiency of the Nile tilapia commercial fingerlings growing in mono- and polycultural ponds; according to the analysis, the species grown in polyculture were found most cost effective. The survival rate of commercial fingerlings in ponds from seeding material (fingerlings grown in reservoirs with water supplied from the geothermal well) made 97-98%, fish capacity of the Nile tilapia commercial fingerlings in monocultural ponds - 15.4 dt/ha, in polycultural ponds - 12.3 dt/ha; cost effectiveness of tilapia growing - 8.8 and 21.3, correspondingly. As for the type of production, breeding commercial tilapia fingerlings is considered resource-intensive; the highest proportion in the cost price make artificial fodder (49.55%).