Cachara Tank Stocking

Cachara (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum) stocking density in tanks

The cachara (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum) is a big Pantanal catfish, a close cousin of the pintado. They share the same genus, but the cachara wears dark reticulated stripes where the pintado has rounded spots. In cage culture the stocking biomass usually sits somewhere between 1 to 2 kg/m³. For a tank holding V liters, you get the supported biomass from B = ρ · V/1000, with ρ the density in kg/m³ and the V/1000 turning liters into cubic meters.

A cachara hits commercial weight of 5 – 10 kg in 18 – 24 months. It eats meat and nothing else, so feed it extruded pellets with crude protein over 40 %, and keep the water at 26 – 30 °C for the fastest growth. EMBRAPA Pantanal's SAFRA program, still in its early stages, puts out high-genetic-merit broodstock and backs the commercial hybrids cachapintado (♀ cachara × ♂ pintado) and pintachara (♀ pintado × ♂ cachara). Each one borrows the cachara's hardiness and the pintado's fillet yield.

Applications

Use the calculator to size cages and earth ponds, work out a feed budget (FCR runs about 1.7 – 2.1 for cachara), estimate what the harvest brings in, and check that you stay inside the IN MAPA stocking-density limits. Broodstock farms can lean on it to project fingerling supply, and it fits well into ATER (technical assistance) reports on Pantanal fish farming.

FAQ

Can I push density past 2 kg/m³? Only if you back it up with strong aeration and a constant water exchange. Cachara want dissolved oxygen above 4 mg/L, and when they get crowded the juveniles turn stressed and start cannibalizing each other.

How long until harvest? Starting from 50 g fingerlings, count on 18 – 24 months to reach 5 kg. If you want fillet-grade fish of 8 – 10 kg, the cycle stretches out further.

Should I farm cachara, pintado or the hybrid? The hybrid cachapintado/pintado real owns most of the commercial market, since it grows faster (12 – 15 months to 2 – 4 kg) and puts up with higher density. Pure cachara still wins out for genetic-bank stocking and the traditional Pantanal restocking programs.