The effects of different diets on the growth performance of Tilapia, Oreochromis variabilis (Boulenger, 1906) fry under aquaculture conditions

Abstract

The effects of different diets on the growth performance of Oreochromis variabilis (L.) fry (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae) were investigated in a hatchery. The diet trial experiment was conducted in modified 1000 litre circular polytex tanks. O. variabilis fry were fed on different diets for 184 days. The diet that contained cotton seed cakes as the main ingredient showed significantly (p<0.05) better growth performance than the soyabean meal and composite diet. Fishmeal control diet showed no significant difference (P>0.05) over cotton seed cakes. The overall mean (mean ± se) survival rate was 89 ± 1.74% and was not influenced by diets.The conclusion reached was that diets contained cotton seed cakes could be used as an alternative diet in feeding O. variabilis. This conclusion is based on the fact that growth performance on cotton seed cake was better than other diets in this study and it is cheaper than fishmeal.