GROWTH RESPONSE USING FERMENTED Parkia biglobosa AS AN ATTRACTANT IN THE FEED OF Oreochromis niloticus CULTURED IN GLASS TANKS  

Olusola  Babalola * and Alexender Okochi
Fisheries Technology Department
Lagos State Polytechnic, Sagamu Road, Ikorodu Lagos, Nigeria
Sola_aug@yahoo.com

The study was carried out in the glass tank to determine the growth response of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings using Parkia biglobosa (Locust Bean) as an attractant in their feed of Oreochromis niloticus. Two hundred and twenty five (225) Tilapia fingerlings were treated with five diets, including one control in fifteen replicates. Five experimental diets were formulated, four of these diet contained Parkia biglobosa (Locust Bean) at varying levels of inclusion of 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% respectively. While the diet of no Parkia biglobosa served as control. Oreochromis niloticus with average initial weight of 10.1gram per fish were stocked at the rate of 15 fish per glass tank with replicates per treatment for 12weeks of experimental period. The feed allowance of the fish increases weekly base on 5% of their body weight gain. Result shows that there were significant differences (P<0.01) among the treatments as compared in respect to mean weight gained, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with 7.5% inclusion of Parkia biglobosa had the highest weight gained with the value of 30.48gram, followed by T5, T2, T1, and T3 with the mean value 27.21g, 26.58g, 25.2g and 21.5g respectively. It shows in the result that the fish with 7.5% Parkia biglobosa had the highest feed intake. The fish that has the highest feed conversion ratio is the diet with 5% Parkia biglobosa (T3) with mean value 3.93. No mortality was recorded in all treatments. During the experiment however, all the essential physico-chemical parameters were measured and fall within the standard range for the culture of Oreochromis niloticus.