Growth response of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlingsfed fermented Parkia biglobosa diets

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the growth response of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings fed fermented Parkia biglobosa (locust beans) diets. P. biglobosa served as an attractant in these diets. Two hundred and twenty-five fingerlings (10.1±0.1 g/fish) mixed sex were treated with five diets containing maize, fishmeal, soyameal, fermented locust beans, bone meal, lysine, methionine, vitamin premix, vitamin C and salt in fifteen replicates and stocked at the rate of 15 fish per unit and reared for twelve weeks. Five experimental diets were formulated at varying levels of inclusion of P. biglobosa at 0% (T1), 2.5% (T2), 5% (T3), 7.5% (T4) and 10% (T5). Results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.01) among the treatments as compared to mean weight gained, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate, protein efficiency, mortality/ survival rate. O. niloticus fed 7.5% inclusion of fermented P. biglobosa had the highest weight gained (30.48 g), highest feed intake (8.86 g) and highest specific growth rate (3.67g). The fish that recorded the highest feed conversion and protein efficiency ratio was the diet with 5% fermented P. biglobosa with mean value of 3.93 g and 2.19 g respectively. Fermented locust beans meal is hereby recommended to be included in the diet of O. niloticus at 7.5% level of inclusion.

Key Words: Growth parameters, Parkia biglobosa, attractant, fingerlings, Oreochromis niloticus