Effects of varying duration of weaning (<i>Clarias gariepinus</i> (♀) X <i>Heterobranchus longifilis</i> (♂)) hybrid fry off decapsulated <i>Artemia</i>

Abstract

The effects of varying duration of weaning (C. gariepinus (♀) XH. longifilis (♂))hybrid fry off decapsulated Artemia were tested. Five treatments (Treatment I was control fed Artemia for 14 days; T II Artemia fed nine days; T III: Artemia fed six days; T IV: Artemia fed three days; T V multi-feed 14 days) in three replicates were arrayed in a complete randomized design. A total of 100 swim-up fry were stocked in fifteen (15) experimental units fed for two weeks. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and New Duncan’s Multiple Range Test was used to separate means significantly different (P<0.05). The result revealed that treatment II had the highest of 51.00±16.03 and lowest in treatment I with 20.00±12.10 in terms of growth performance, treatment I showed apparently lower Mean weight gain (230.56±83.25cg), specific growth rate (25.80±0.27), and mean standard length increase (10.89±1.06c) while treatment IV higher growth performance though the observed differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in condition factor among the treatments although treatment I fared relatively less in terms of condition factor but showed allometric growth. Therefore, decapsulated Artemia can be substituted with dry feed concentrate based diet between day 3 and 9 C. gariepinus (♀) XH. longifilis (♂) hybrid fry for optimize survival rate and growth performance in hatchery operations.