Aeration
Adding oxygen to pond water using splashing, pumping, air stones, or water exchange. Emergency aeration is critical when fish gasp at the surface.
Catfish Farming Glossary for Nigerian Farmers
A practical glossary for farmers using MyFishDoc, reading disease guides, or trying to understand farm records and AI diagnosis reports.
Ammonia
A toxic waste product from fish urine, faeces, and excess feed. High ammonia burns gills, weakens immunity, and can trigger sudden mortality.
Biomass
The total live fish weight in a pond. Biomass is calculated from fish count multiplied by average body weight.
Clarias gariepinus
The African catfish species commonly farmed in Nigeria. MyFishDoc is built around this production system.
Dissolved Oxygen
The oxygen available in water for fish to breathe. Low dissolved oxygen causes gasping, stress, poor feeding, and death.
FCR
Feed Conversion Ratio. The amount of feed used to produce 1 kg of fish. Lower FCR means better feed efficiency.
Fin Rot
A bacterial disease where fins become ragged, white-edged, or eroded. It often follows poor water quality or injury.
Gill Rot
A serious gill disease that reduces breathing ability. Warning signs include gasping, pale or damaged gills, and sudden weakness.
Mortality
The number or percentage of fish that die during a production cycle. Daily mortality tracking helps detect disease early.
pH
A measure of how acidic or alkaline pond water is. African catfish generally perform best around neutral to slightly alkaline water.
Stocking Density
The number of fish kept in a pond or tank relative to available water volume. Overcrowding increases stress and disease risk.
Water Change
Replacing part of pond water with cleaner water. It can reduce ammonia, improve oxygen, and support emergency disease response.