THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DISCARDED DATE PALM ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF NILE TILAPIA FINGERLINGS (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

This work was carried out in fish Research laboratory, Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafr El-Shiekh University. The feeding experiments dated from September until December 2014, feeding experiment was conducted for 12 weeks to study the effect of using different levels (0, 25, 50,75 and 100%) of discarded date with wheat bran (DDPW) on growth performance, efficiency of feed utilization, and preliminary economical evaluation of Nile tilapia (0. niloticus) fingerlings. A total of 225 fish with average initial body 14.4 g, were randomly stoked into 15 aquaria (15 in each). Fish in all treatments were daily fed the experimental diets at a level of 3% of the fish biomass until the end of the experiment. The feed amount was given at two times daily, six days a week for 12 weeks. The results showed that all growth performance parameters and feed utilization values of the experimental fish were decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by increasing the level of DDPW in the diets. Diet contained 100% DDPW was significantly lower (P>0.05) for all the growth performance parameters as compared with the other treatments. The group fed the control diet (100% yellow corn) recorded the highest values while those fed the diet containing 100% DDPW recorded the lowest values while, those fed diets containing 25, 50 and 75 % DDPW had significantly lower growth performance as compared with the control diet (100% yellow corn). Economically, the change (%) in feed cost/Kg gain increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing the level of DDPW in the diets.