EFFECT OF FEEDING AND FEED PREFERENCE ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF ARICAN CATFISH Clarias gariepinus FED PELLETED FEED, SUPPLEMENTED WITH LIVE TILAPIA FRY IN CONCRETE TANKS.
A ten month trial was conducted to assess the effect of feeding and feed preference of Clarias gariepinus raised in concrete tanks. A total of nine hundred fingerlings were distributed into concrete tanks of dimension 2 × 2.5 × 1m3 at ten fingerlings/unit. The fish were fed a combination of 42% commercial pelleted feed at the rate of 0.5%, 1.5% and 2.5%, supplemented with live tilapia fry at 0% (T1), 0.5% (T2), 1.5% (T3) and 2.5% (T4) at 5% body weight in triplicate. Mean weight gain (MWG) ranged from 93.41g (T1) to 202.03g (T4) and Specific Growth Rate (SGR) ranged from 1.03% day-1 (T1) to 2.63% day-1 (T4). Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was 0.81 (T4) and significantly different (p<0.05) from 3.71 (T1). There was however, significant differences (p<0.05) observed in the parameters for all the test diets. Proximate composition of carcass shows significant differences (p<0.05) in protein, moisture, fibre and ash contents. From the study, live tilapia can be used as supplemental feed and can be added up to 2.5% inclusion level for optimal growth and nutrient utilization.
Key word: Live tilapia inclusion, Commercial pelleted feed, Clarias gariepinus.