Growth Rate of Pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, Fingerlings Fed Diets Containing Co-Dried Fish Silage as Replacement of Fish Meal

Abstract

Fish meal has been the most common animal protein source used to feed fish, even though it is fairly expensive and seasonally available. The objective of this work was to investigate co-dried fish silage as an alternative animal protein source for diets of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus.The diets did not differ significantly (P >0.05) with respect to average weight gain, ration consumption, apparent feed conversion, protein efficiency and specific growth rates. However, apparent protein digestibility and protein productive values were significantly different (P <0.01). Diets containing fish silage, co-dried with agricultural by-products (soybean meal or broken rice), showed better results than the control diet, which contained fish meal as the only animal protein source. The results showed that alternative ingredients can be used effectively to replace fish meal in pacu diets. Co-dried silages are economically and environmentally advantageous, since they use residues generated in the farm.