Response of the african catfish <i>Clarias gariepinus</i>, Burchell 1822 to diets of comercially and locally formulated fish feed in relation to cost benefits

Abstract

The growth performance of catfish Clarias gariepinus using imported feeds and locally made feeds of the same crude protein were compared. C. gariepinus (mean weight 12.8g) juvenile were reared in cages for a period of 12 weeks on different feed. Two imported feeds (skretting and copens) were purchased and two local feeds (corresponding to treatment) were compounded to contain the same level of crude protein. Locally ingredients used are maize, fish meal, groundnut cake, soya bean meal, bone meal, lysine, methionine, premix, vegetable oil, salt but varying fish meal and soya bean meal as follows, treatment 1- (11.38% to 7.5%), treatment 2-(7.5% to 11.38%) respectively. The pelleted feeds were fed at the rate of 5% of the fish biomass. The growth response was assessed in terms of daily weight gain, relative weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, mortality and survival rate. The results showed that the two local feeds promoted positive growth, implying that the use of different levels fish meal and soya bean meal (11.38% and 7.5%) favoured culture of juvenile C. gariepinus.

Key Words, Clarias gariepinus, diet, fish feed, formulation, growth