Substitution of Fishmeal with Blood Meal in the Diets of Clariid Catfish Heterobranchus bidorsalis Fingerlings

Abstract:

This study was carried out to examine the effect of the substitution of fishmeal with blood meal (BM) in the Practical diets of Heterobranchus bidorsalis fingerlings for a period of 70 days (10 weeks). Five iso-nitrogenous diets containing varying levels of blood meal were formulated. Diet 1 (10%BM) Diet 2 (25%BM), Diet 3 (50%BM), Diet 4 (75%BM), Diet 5 (100%BM) as substitution for fishmeal were fed to three replicate of Heterobranchus bidorsalis with an initial mean weight of 11.02±0.01g, the feed were fed to satiation twice daily and water quality monitored. At the end of the experimenal period Diet 2, (25%BM)recorded the best mean growth rate of 2.019g but was not significantly different from other treatments (P>0.05), Diet 2 was also a better performer among all the other treatments with a feed intake valur of (2.112), feed conversion ratio of (2.119), relative weight gain of (13.58) and specific growth rate of (9.010). It is therefore recommended that blood meal can substitute fishmeal but will be best at 25% substitution in diets for Heterobranchus bidorsalis without compromising the growth and carcass composition.