Growth response and nutrient digestability by Clarias isheriensis (Sydenham, 1980) fed varying levels of dietary coffee pulp as replacement for maize in low-cost diets

Abstract

Feeding and digestibility studies were conducted in concrete ponds to evaluate the use of coffee ( Coffea robusta) pulp as partial and total replacements for yellow maize in low-cost diets for the catfish, Clarias isheriensis (Sydenham, 1980). The percentages of dietary coffee pulp inclusion were 0 (diet 1, control), 10 (diet 2), 20 (diet 3) and 30 (diet 4). All the diets were formulated to contain 37% crude protein using cheap, locally available feed ingredients, and fed daily to experimental fish in replicated dietary treatments at 2–10% of fish biomass for 150 days. Fish survival was high, consequent upon good water quality in all treatments. There were significant differences ( P<0·05) in growth performance (daily rate of growth, DRG, and specific growth rate, SGR), feed conversion rate (FCR) and apparent nutrient digestability coefficient (ADC) among fish fed coffee pulp (CoP) diets and control (yellow maize, YeM) diet. Mean net fish production decreased with progressive increases in per cent coffee pulp inclusion in the diets. It is concluded that coffee pulp is potentially useful as replacement for yellow maize in low-cost diets for C. isheriensis.