Abstract

PRODUCTION OF TABLE SIZE HYBRID CATFISH AND NILE TILAPIA UNDER INTENSIVE POLYCULTURE USING A LOW COST DIET: BRAN.BLO

Adams T. E.* and Olaji E. D.

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study is to produce good quality fish feed using low cost energy diet in semi intensive system to encourage farmers at rural level to ensure adequate supply at affordable fish feed for rural farmers. Four existing earthen ponds of 200m were stocked with 1000 hybrid catfish juvenile and 500 juvenile of tilapia. Wheat bran and cow blood was purchased to produced wheat Bran at a ration of 2:1. Bran Blo was analized to determine its proximate composition. The stocked fish were fattened on Bran-Blo for a culture period of six (6) months and commercial diet coppens as control. The study showed that fish culture under treatment II commercial feed (Coppens) exhibit higher growth rates than those in treatment I (Bran Blo). However, in terms of economic profitability, Treatment I in Nile Tilapia and Treatment I in Hybrid catfish (Fed with Bran Blo) showed the highest gross profit of 221,600 and 1,474,000 because of the low cost of production of Bran Blo. There were no significant differences in all water quality parameters except the water transparency where treatment II was more transparent than treatment I. The benefit /cost ratio showed that treatment I both in the Nile Tilapia and Hybrid Catfish fed with Bran Blo are viable with values above 1.

Keywords: .