Growth and feed utilization by juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) feed with Azolla filiculoides) with low lipid diet

Abstract

The total supply of fish available for human consumption will depend more of the expansion of low trophy level fish farming than of wild-caught fish. Aquatic plants used at treatment of aquaculture wastewater have been showed like an alternative to exclusive diet feed. The aquatic fern, Azolla filiculoides is an example with high level of protein. Consequently, more research on feed requirements of herbivorous fish is required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth performance and feed efficiency of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fed with three different diets using low lipid feed and water fern (Azolla filiculoides). The experiment was carried out in nine (9) tanks of 300 L capacity with three fish per tank (initial body weight = 55,43g). Feeding rate was 2.5% Fish were fed on two times a day with three treatments (R= Diet/Azolla on dry weight) R= 2.5; R = 5 and R= 10. The specific growth rate (SGR = 1.39%), daily growth gain (DGG = 1.06 g / day) and were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by treatment and were highest at R= 5.