To evaluate water quality and growth performance of butter catfish under temperature manipulation, 15 fish were cultured in 16 fiberglass tanks for ten weeks in three temperatures of 29 °C, 31 °C, 33 °C, and in ambient temperature as control (25.1-29.5 °C). The growth performance and water quality parameters (temperature, DO, pH, TAN and NO2-N) in culture were investigated. Water quality seemed not to be controlled by temperature but by feed consumption. DO concentration decreased (8.27+0.10 mg/l) in the 33 °C tank (P<0.05). Growth of catfish performed well in all treatments except fish in the 33 °C tank, in which the percentage weight and length gain declined (479.70+86.64% and 73.85+10.52%, respectively) (P<0.05), and both SGR and feed intake significantly decreased (2.55+0.26 %/day and 194.28+42.40 g, respectively) (P<0.01). FCR and survival were positive in every temperature exposure (P>0.05). Results reveal that the maximum thermal tolerance for growth is best in water temperature which does not exceed 31 °C.
