Tambaqui (Colossoma bidena) and pirapitinga (losioma bideva) from the Amazon River were stocked in earthen ponds at the Penteooste Fish Culture Research Station in the State of Cearl, Brazil. Tambaqui wore stocked at 2 077/ha with an average weight of 6 g. Pirapitinga were stocked at 2 632/ha with an average weight of 9 g. Both ponds received cow manure and triple superphosphate during the experiment. Both species were fed a pelleted ration 6 days a week and, after 405 days, 2 509 kg/ha and 2 472 kg/ha of tambaqui and pirapitinga respectively, were harvested. The average weight of tambaqui was 1 245 g and 992 g for pirapitinga. Both species were resistant to low levels of dissolved oxygen and to handling and were easily captured with a seive. Attempts to artificially spawn these species with injections of curimata comum (Proohilodua cearoniis) pituitaries were unsuccessful.