Growth Performance of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Juveniles Fed Diet Containing Moringa Oleifera Leaf Meal (Published)
A 90 day feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effects of Moringa oleifera on the growth of Clarias gariepinus. A total of 80 juveniles of C. gariepinus were stocked in four concrete tanks measuring 9x4x2m3 with each tank containing 20 experimental fish arranged in duplicates. There was also another set of tank known as control where fish therein where fed diets containing fish meal. Plant based diet was formulated with Moringa oleifera leaves extract, unripe plantain powder, soybean meal and palm kernel cake. The experimental fish were fed twice daily at 5% body weight. Proximate composition of experimental diet included crude protein (35.68%), moisture (5.24%), crude lipid (15.64%), ash (4.92%), nitrogen free extract (24.83) and fibre (13.69%). Results of growth performance revealed the following: weight gain (7.51±1.22g), food conversion ratio (5.09±1.14gg-1), specific growth rate (0.28±0.02%), and condition factor (0.91±0.02). The present study shows that the growth of C. gariepinus fed diets containing M. oleifera have compared favourably (P>0.05) with those fed diets containing fish meal. The use of plant-based ingredients such as M. oleifera in fish diets can reduce the cost of feed production leading to increase fish production.
Keywords: African catfish, Growth Performance, Leaf Meal., Moringa oleifera
Growth Performance of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Juveniles Fed Diet Containing Moringa Oleifera Leaf Meal (Published)
A 90 day feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effects of Moringa oleifera on the growth of Clarias gariepinus. A total of 80 juveniles of C. gariepinus were stocked in four concrete tanks measuring 9x4x2m3 with each tank containing 20 experimental fish arranged in duplicates. There was also another set of tank known as control where fish therein where fed diets containing fish meal. Plant based diet was formulated with Moringa oleifera leaves extract, unripe plantain powder, soybean meal and palm kernel cake. The experimental fish were fed twice daily at 5% body weight. Proximate composition of experimental diet included crude protein (35.68%), moisture (5.24%), crude lipid (15.64%), ash (4.92%), nitrogen free extract (24.83) and fibre (13.69%). Results of growth performance revealed the following: weight gain (7.51±1.22g), food conversion ratio (5.09±1.14gg-1), specific growth rate (0.28±0.02%), and condition factor (0.91±0.02). The present study shows that the growth of C. gariepinus fed diets containing M. oleifera have compared favourably (P>0.05) with those fed diets containing fish meal. The use of plant-based ingredients such as M. oleifera in fish diets can reduce the cost of feed production leading to increase fish production.
Keywords: African catfish, Growth Performance, Leaf Meal., Moringa oleifera
Effects of salinity and hardness on the growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Northern Punjab region of Pakistan. (Published)
The tolerance of salinity and hardness was checked on the growth and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) Islamabad. Fry of the Tilapia measuring between 2.5cm to 2.9cm in total length and weighing between 0.435g to 0.603g (Body Weight BW) were used for the salinity and hardness treatment. Different levels of salinity from 0-15ppt were developed for the three months. 100 % survival rate was observed in 0-7.5ppt while in 12.5ppt and 15ppt all the fish died. Salinities between 0-10ppt were endured by the fish however the most appropriate salinity level was 5ppt on which maximum growth was recorded. For hardness treatment different concentrations of 350mg/lit, 450mg/lit, 550mg/lit and 650mg/lit of CaCl2 were used. No mortality was observed in this case and the most preferred concentration on which the fish showed maximum growth was 550 mg/lit.
Keywords: Growth Performance, Survival, Water Quality, saline resistance, tilapia growth
Effect of Artificial Diets on Growth Performance, Body Composition and Gonad Maturation of Mullet (Liza Ramada) (Published)
This study was conducted to evaluate four different diets (fish oil FO, Palm oil PO, sunflower oil SO and mixed diet of three oils as 2% FO : 2%PO : 2%SO) on growth performance, body composition and gonad maturation of Liza ramada with an initial weight of 5.31±0.31g. Hundred fish were randomly distributed in twelve cement ponds with a volume of 2m3 each and fed for 120 days at a rate of 3% live body weight (BW) twice daily. The results showed significant differences (P<0.05) between diets. The highest growth performance, feed utilization and hepatosomatic index were obtained with the fish fed fish oil (FO) and Mixed diets, without significance difference between them. However, the fish fed palm oil (PO) and sunflower oil (SO) recorded less growth performance. Differences in certain fatty acid composition were detected but levels of saturated, mono-saturated and n-3 fatty acids recorded increased in each FO and mixed diets without significant differences between them. On the other hand, n-6 showed significantly increased in both palm oil (PO) and sunflower oil (SO) groups. The essential fatty acids (EFAs): arachidonic acid (ARA), ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were different across treatment groups suggesting that Liza ramada can affected with different oil sources. In the second trial the mixed diet was fed to the broodstock fish in earthen ponds. The broodstock fish showed an increased in growth performance, feed efficiency, heptosomatic and gonadsomatic indices of Liza ramada. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of oil type effects, diet costs and gonad histology of Liza ramada broodstock.
Keywords: Body Composition, Broodstock, Fatty Acids, Feed Utilization, Fish Oil, Gonad Histology, Growth Performance, Liza Ramada, Palm Oil, sunflower oil
Dietary Sorghum Starch Influences Growth Performance, Apparent Digestibility Coefficient And Some Hepatic Enzyme Activities Of Carbohydrate Metabolism In Hybrid Red Tilapia (Oreochromis Mossambicus × O. Niloticus) Fingerlings (Published)
A 120-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary sorghum starch on growth performance, feed utilization, apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) and some hepatic enzyme activities regulating glycolytic and gluconeogenic metabolic pathways of fingerlings hybrid red tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × O. niloticus) with initial body weight of 10.9±0.2 g. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing graded levels of sorghum starch (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35%) were formulated. The results demonstrated that weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and net protein utilization (NPU) values increased with increasing dietary sorghum starch up to 30% . Hepatosomatic index, plasma glucose, triglycerides, liver glycogen and liver lipid concentration of fish significantly increased with increasing dietary sorghum starch level. ADC of starch decreased significantly with increasing sorghum starch level over 30%, However, whole body compositions, and ADC of protein and lipid showed no significant differences. Dietary sorghum starch supplements tended to enhance gluconokinase and pyruvate kinase activities of the liver, but insignificant differences were observed in activities of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase-1, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase in the liver for all dietary treatments. Based on WG and FCR results, the appropriate dietary sorghum starch supplementations of fingerlings hybrid red tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × O.niloticus) can be incorporated up to 30% of diet.
Keywords: Digestibility Coefficient, Growth Performance, Hepatic Enzyme Activities, Hybrid Red Tilapia, Sorghum Starch, Whole Body Composition