Performance Of Tilapia Research Articles

Optimization of fish and plant production in tilapia-spinach aquaponics systems using black soldier fly larvae meal and mineral supplementation

Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics. Fishmeal is a common protein source in aquaponics feeds, but it is expensive and has environmental and ethical issues. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are a promising alternative protein source that can be produced from organic waste. However, the optimal level of fishmeal replacement by BSFL meal and the effects of mineral supplementation on fish and plant growth, nutrient utilization, and microbial quality in aquaponics systems are not well understood. In this study, the researcher conducted three experiments to evaluate the effects of full-fat (FF) BSFL meal, defatted (DF) BSFL meal and mineral supplementation on tilapia-spinach aquaponics systems. The researcher found that FF or DF BSFL meal can replace up to 30% of fishmeal protein in tilapia-spinach aquaponics systems without compromising fish and plant growth, nutrient utilization, or microbial quality. Mineral supplementation can further enhance the performance of tilapia fed with FF or DF BSFL meal in aquaponics systems. This study provides valuable information for optimizing fish and plant production in tilapia-spinach aquaponics systems using BSFL meal and mineral supplementation as sustainable protein and mineral sources.

A review and meta-analysis of selected plant protein sources as a replacement of fishmeal in the diet of tilapias

Abstract Numerous studies on the replacement of fishmeal with plant protein sources in tilapias have been undertaken. In order to quantify the effect of replacing fishmeal with plant protein sources on the growth performance of tilapias, a meta-analysis approach was applied. Despite the high heterogeneity and funnel plot asymmetry, the meta-analysis showed that replacing fishmeal with plant protein sources has a significant positive effect on the growth performance of tilapias. Thus, tilapias appear to be preadapted to utilizing plant protein sources. Furthermore, the feed value, nutritional quality and cost of the commonly used plant ingredients (soybean, sunflower, canola, cottonseed, kikuyu and azolla meals) were explored. The Solver function in Excel was used to formulate least-cost diets using the plant meals. Azolla had the highest nutritional index (9.7436). This was attributed to its excellent amino acid profile that exceeded the requirements of tilapias. Nutritional index and feed value were lowest in kikuyu because of its poor amino acid profile as it registered the lowest amino acid index (0.4918). These results indicate that the amino acid profile is more important in the determination of nutritional quality than the percent protein content. Azolla and soybean meal are good candidates for the replacement of fishmeal in the diets of tilapias.

Osmoregulation performance, condition factor, and gonad maturity of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Cengklik reservoir, Boyolali

Osmoregulation is a physiological adjustment mechanism of fish to environmental conditions. Fish growth performance will reduce when a large amount of energy is redirected for the osmoregulation process. The purpose of this study was to determine the osmotic work level (OWL), osmoregulation pattern, condition factor (K), gonad maturity stages (GMS) and analyze the relationship between OWL with condition factor and GMS of tilapia collected from three floating net cages in Cengklik reservoir, Boyolali. Samples were collected during March – April 2022 followed by some allometric measurements and regression analyses. The OWL of tilapia at the three cages ranged from 4 – 10 mOsm/L H2O; they performed a hyperosmotic osmoregulation pattern. The condition factor of male and female tilapia were1,86±0,21 and 1,89±0,18. GMS of both male and female tilapia was dominated by GMS IV with a fecundity of 9408±2092.54 eggs. OWL did not reveal a significant effect on condition factors or on the GMS of tilapia (p>0.05). Pearson correlation test showed a weak relationship between OWL with condition factors (r = 0,204) and tilapia GMS (r = -0,001). Therefore, tilapia uses less energy in osmotic work to produce good growth performance because it has more energy for growth, as indicated by the high condition factor (K>1) and domination by fish with GMS IV level of mature gonads.Keywords: Condition Factor; Gonad Maturity; Fish Cages; Oreochromis niloticus; Osmoregulation

Osmoregulation performance, condition factor, and gonad maturity of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Cengklik reservoir, Boyolali

Osmoregulation is a physiological adjustment mechanism of fish to environmental conditions. Fish growth performance will reduce when a large amount of energy is redirected for the osmoregulation process. The purpose of this study was to determine the osmotic work level (OWL), osmoregulation pattern, condition factor (K), gonad maturity stages (GMS) and analyze the relationship between OWL with condition factor and GMS of tilapia collected from three floating net cages in Cengklik reservoir, Boyolali. Samples were collected during March – April 2022 followed by some allometric measurements and regression analyses. The OWL of tilapia at the three cages ranged from 4 – 10 mOsm/L H2O; they performed a hyperosmotic osmoregulation pattern. The condition factor of male and female tilapia were1,86±0,21 and 1,89±0,18. GMS of both male and female tilapia was dominated by GMS IV with a fecundity of 9408±2092.54 eggs. OWL did not reveal a significant effect on condition factors or on the GMS of tilapia (p>0.05). Pearson correlation test showed a weak relationship between OWL with condition factors (r = 0,204) and tilapia GMS (r = -0,001). Therefore, tilapia uses less energy in osmotic work to produce good growth performance because it has more energy for growth, as indicated by the high condition factor (K>1) and domination by fish with GMS IV level of mature gonads.Keywords: Condition Factor; Gonad Maturity; Fish Cages; Oreochromis niloticus; Osmoregulation

Comparative study on growth performance and survival of Indian major carps and male monosex tilapia in recirculating aquaculture system

An experiment was performed in a recirculatory aquaculture system (RAS) to carry out a comparative study on the growth performance and survival of Indian major carps (Labeo rohita and Gibelion catla) and monosex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings for a period of 90 days. Ten fingerlings each of L. rohita (average weight 30±0.1 g), G. catla(average weight 28±0.1 g) and O. niloticus (average weight 31.5±0.2 g) were distributed randomly into twelve cages, in quadruplicates. L. rohita and G. catla were fed commercial floating feed (30% crude protein and 5% crude lipid) ad libitum while O. niloticus were initially fed at 3% of the body weight upto 100 g size and was changed to 2% of the body weight. There was significant (p<0.05) increase of daily weight gain, percentage weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) in O. niloticus followed by L. rohita and G. catla. Significantly lower (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) and higher (p<0.05) protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV) and lipid productive value (LPV) were found in O. niloticus followed by L. rohita and G. catla. At the end of the experiment, survival was similar for all three fish species, however total biomass was significantly (p<0.05) higher in O. niloticus followed by L. rohita and G. catla. The findings of this study showed the potential of RAS as an alternative to the pond culture of monosex tilapia and rohu.Keywords: Growth performance, Indian major carps, Monosex tilapia, Survival, Recirculatory aquaculture system

Growth and whole-body proximate composition of Oreochromis niloticus Nile tilapia fed pea meal: A systematic review and meta-analysis

One of the most widely cultivated species in the aquaculture sector is the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). However, the rising price of fishmeal has a huge impact on its market value. Proteins derived from plants have been used to address the issue. In this study, systematic review and meta-analysis were used to quantitatively analyze the whole-body composition and growth of Nile tilapia fed pea meal. Based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis methods, the literature review and paper selection were completed. Meta-analysis was performed on the data from peer-reviewed studies that met the inclusion screening requirements, namely: tilapia development stage, standard error reporting, feeding period, lack of nutritional supplements, and crude protein levels. The control diet outperformed the plant-based diets according to the result, in which growth and feed utilization characteristics were significantly different (P < 0.05). All except the final weight were significantly better (P < 0.05) in tilapia fed control compared to tilapia fed pea treatment. Additionally, the pooled estimate of whole-body composition of fish fed a diet based on pea meal was not substantially different from that of fish fed a diet based on fishmeal (P > 0.05). Due to large and statistically significant I2 values, the feeding interval, crude protein concentration, fish development stage, and dietary pea meal inclusions were all examined using meta-regression analysis to identify the sources of heterogeneity. Not all co-variates explained the heterogeneity except for the feeding period and crude protein % in some of the parameters. The minimum quantities of dietary pea meal needed for best Nile tilapia performance in terms of growth, feed utilization, and whole-body composition were found to be 4.9, 488.6, and 210.3 g kg−1, respectively.

The antibacterial activity and immunomodulatory effect of naturally synthesized chitosan and silver nanoparticles against Pseudomonas fluorescence infection in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): An in vivo study

A sixty-day feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) on the growth and immunity of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), compared with the control group. CNPs and AgNPs were green synthesized and added to a control diet (30% crude protein) at levels of 2.0 g CNPs/kg diet and 1.0 mg AgNPs/kg diet. One hundred and eighty fish (101 ± 3.98 g) were randomly distributed into nine fiberglass tanks (200 cm × 200 cm x 100 cm, twenty fish each) to represent three equal groups (60 fish per group). After one and two months of the feeding trial, parameters of water quality, growth indices, hematology, and liver and kidney biomarkers were evaluated. At the end of the experiment, 10 fish from each group were challenged experimentally via the intraperitoneal injection with Pseudomonas fluorescence and fish mortality was observed for further ten days. Then, specimens from the liver, kidney, spleen, and anterior intestine were examined to assess the histopathological alterations. Incorporating a 2.0 g CNPs/kg diet was a promising growth enhancer; however, a 1.0 mg AgNPs/kg diet had no effects on tilapia performance. Furthermore, AgNPs appeared to reduce water pollution, leading to water filtration via decreasing both total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC). A significant role of AgNPs in improving tilapia's erythrogram (RBCs number and Hb concentration) was evident. Compared with the control group, both groups of CNPs and AgNPs improved non-specific immune parameters and showed defense effects against P. fluorescence. The fish mortality after P. fluorescence infection in CNPs and AgNPs-fed fish groups revealed significant decreases (P < 0.05) of 10% and 25%; respectively, while the control group exhibited a mortality rate of 40%. The current investigation evoked that using dietary CNPs (2.0 g/kg feed) as an antibacterial agent against P. fluorescence infection in Nile tilapia culture was better than dietary AgNPs (1.0 mg/kg diet) which, induced cells inflammation causing tissues necrosis.

Bioprocess for mass production and feed utilization of Azolla pinnata in aquaculture ponds: a perspective of bioeconomy and eco-friendly technology for small farms

Aquatic plants have a high potential to be used as eco-friendly technology in fish farming effluent treatment systems. However, there is still a reduced use of the vegetable biomass produced in these treatment systems. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop an alternative feed with the aquatic plant Azolla pinnata to take advantage of plant biomass, reusing the plant to develop a new product and promote a circular economy. A. pinnata was implemented in decantation pond that receives effluents from fish farming. Samples were collected weekly at four times (0, 7, 14, and 21 days). Posteriorly, A. pinnata was processed to obtain the meal. Azolla meal was offered along with three commercial feed (24%, 28% and 32% of the crude protein) in an experiment to evaluate the zootechnical performance of tilapia in small tanks. The results indicated that A. pinnata was efficient to retention of phosphorus and nitrogen after seven days. In the experiment with animals, the treatment using commercial feed with 28% of the crude protein + Azolla showed the best efficiency rates for using the diet. Thus, the use of the A. pinnata meal was a viable alternative in the search for sustainable products to promote a bioeconomy in the small fish farms.

Salvianolic Acid B Regulates Oxidative Stress, Autophagy and Apoptosis against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Hepatic Injury in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), as one of the main water-soluble components of Salvia miltiorrhizae, has significant pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, free radical elimination and biofilm protection actions. However, the protective effect of Sal B on Nile tilapia and the underlying mechanism are rarely reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Sal B on antioxidant stress, apoptosis and autophagy in Nile tilapia liver. In this experiment, Nile tilapia were fed diets containing sal B (0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g·kg-1) for 60 days, and then the oxidative hepatic injury of the tilapia was induced via intrapleural injection of 50 g·kg-1 cyclophosphamide (CTX) three times. After the final exposure to CTX, the Nile tilapia were weighed and blood and liver samples were collected for the detection of growth and biochemical indicators, pathological observations and TUNEL detection, as well as the determination of mRNA expression levels. The results showed that after the CTX treatment, the liver was severely damaged, the antioxidant capacity of the Nile tilapia was significantly decreased and the hepatocyte autophagy and apoptosis levels were significantly increased. Meanwhile, dietary Sal B can not only significantly improve the growth performance of tilapia and effectively reduce CTX-induced liver morphological lesions, but can also alleviate CTX-induced hepatocyte autophagy and apoptosis. In addition, Sal B also significantly regulated the expression of genes related to antioxidative stress, autophagy and apoptosis pathways. This suggested that the hepatoprotective effect of Sal B may be achieved through various pathways, including scavenging free radicals and inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis and autophagy.

SUBSTITUTION OF FERMENTED DUCKWEED MEAL (Lemna Sp.) AS AN ALTERNATIVE PROTEIN SOURCE SOYBEAN MEAL IN SUPPORTING THE GROWTH OF TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus)

Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is a freshwater fish commodity that has high economic value, is widely cultivated and has high demand. However, the obstacle that is often experienced by farmers is the high price of feed caused by the high price of imported feed raw materials. Overcoming this can be done by looking for alternative raw materials that can replace soybean meal flour such as fermented lemna flour. This research was conducted to study the growth performance of tilapia fed a test feed using fermented lemna flour (Lemna sp.) substitution. The total treatment used was 5 treatments and 3 replications, with a completely randomized design (CRD). Treatment A (0% TLF), B (25% TLF), C (50% TLF), D (75% TLF), and treatment E (100% TLF). Parameters observed were absolute weight gain, daily growth rate, protein retention, feed conversion, protein efficiency ratio, survival rate, and water quality. The results showed that treatment B (25% TLF) gave the best results compared to other treatments, where the absolute weight growth rate reached 7.11 g, the daily growth rate (SGR) was 3.39%, feed conversion (FCR) was 2.22 and protein retention 36.08%.

Enhancing Growth Performance of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with German Grass (Holcus mollis) and Vermicompost

In the present study, we evaluated the growth performance of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) feeding German grass (Holcus mollis) produced organically using vermicompost. There were three treatments in the experiment, only German grass (T1), German grass + vermicompost @ 8,000 kg ha-1 year-1 (T2) and German grass + vermicompost @ 16,000 kg ha-1 year-1 (T3). In treatment T2 and T3, 25 % vermicompost was applied prior to 15 days ahead of fish stocking. The fish was stocked @ 10,000 grass carps and 15,000 tilapia ha-1, respectively. Water quality parameter such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate were varied among the treatments. 29 phytoplankton and 9 zooplankton genera observed in the three treatments with a significant abundance (p &lt; 0.05) in vermicompost treated ponds. According to a gut content study, tilapia primarily fed zooplankton and phytoplankton, whereas grass carp pre-dominantly consumed German grass and phytoplankton. The gross production was significantly higher in treatment T3 (2.94 Ton ha-1) followed by T2 (2.78 Ton ha-1) and T1 (2.57 Ton ha-1) 77 days-1. The research disclosed that the vermicompost application at 16,000 kg/ha/year with German grass was better option of producing organic grass carp and tilapia.

BUDIDAYA IKAN NILA JATIMBULAN (Oreochromis sp) DENGAN SISTEM SEMI INTENSIF

Low growth performance and survival rate of tilapia is the main problem in tilapia culture especially Nile Jatimbulan. Growth performance of Nile tilapia is highly affected by genetic materials, food quality, stocking density, feeding rate and frequency and environmental factors such as water quality. Semi intensive system in earthen pond were used in this study. Earth pond contain various of organisms which support the growth performance of fish and phytoplankton. In addition, waterwheel with a power of 0.5 HP were added to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the pond. To improve water quality and performance of tilapia, EM4 probiotic were applied. This study showed the growth rate of jatimbulan is 2.94 grams, SR 80% and FCR value of 0,6. Jatimbulan tilapia were obtained after 90 days of culture is 6 tons with an average of body weight 250-300 grams.

Growth and production of monosex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) under different levels of stocking densities

Monosex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) was evaluated in a freshwater pond for 100 days at Gokuleshwor, Baitadi, Nepal during the summer and rainy seasons of 2019. Fingerlings were supplied at stocking densities of 5, 10, 15, and 20 fish per m3. At the time of stocking, the average fingerling weight was 8.5 grams. Each treatment had four replicates. Each of the treatments involved feeding the fish twice a day. The results revealed that the specific growth rate and survival rates decreased with increasing levels of stocking density. As stocking density increased, the growth performance of tilapia dropped. Fish growth was the highest at a stocking density of 5 fish per m3, but the production was the highest at a stocking density of 20 fish per m3. According to the findings of this study, farmers should use higher stocking densities to maximize production. SAARC J. Agric., 20(2): 247-259 (2022)

Assessing the growth and physiological performance of juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with the inclusion of new banana by-products in starter diets

The high worldwide amount of residues derived from the banana harvest is an opportunity to create synergies between the banana industry and aquaculture, from a circular economy perspective. The present work objective is to evaluate the inclusion of banana by-products, such as banana pseudo-stem and banana flower in tilapia feeds, and to explore the extracts from the banana flower on the development and health in tilapia juveniles. Three consecutive feeding trials were performed to evaluate the test by-products inclusions: Experiment I) with 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 15% and 20% of banana pseudo-stem; Experiment II) with 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 1% and 3% of banana flower; and Experiment III) with 3% of banana flower against its correspondent organic extract and residue of the extraction. Salinity stress challenges were conducted after the feeding trials in Experiments II and III. From the obtained results, up to 5% of banana pseudo-stem and 3% of banana flower inclusion were suitably regarded the fish growth and the liver health, also, as the essential fatty acids proportion in the muscle, despite the reduction in total lipid percentage. Regarding the stress challenges, the flower and more specific, the remaining residue from its organic extraction, appears to regulate the levels of plasma cortisol and glucose and reduce the oxidation parameters in fish liver and muscle, which may be due to the polyphenols present in both, the whole banana flower and in its organic extraction residue.

Growth Evaluation of Red Tilapia (Oreochromis spp) Under Different Cycles of Fasting And Re-Feeding

Feed restriction through fasting is a widely recommended feed management strategy in aquaculture, where this strategy is believed to have a positive effect on fish growth performance. This study aims to evaluate the growth performance of red tilapia in various cycles of fasting and re-feeding. The activity was carried out at Research Institute Fish Breeding from August to November 2020 . The research method used was experimental with 5 treatments with 4 replications, namely control (fish were fed daily), then the fasting treatment was S7 (7 days of fasting), S14 (14 days of fasting), S21 (21 days of fasting) and S28 (28 fasting day) followed by refeeding until the end of maintenance. Maintenance was carried out for 90 days in a concrete tub measuring 2x1m3 with a stocking density of 28 fishes / unit. During the rearing period the fish were fed satiation three times a day. The results showed that there was a decrease in growth along with the increase of the fasting period, but there was a trend of increasing growth after re-feeding with over compensatory growth in treatment S7 and partial compensatory growth in treatments S14 and S21. Likewise, the value of the condition factor and the hepatosomatic index during the fasting period decreased, but after feeding, the values were not different from those of fish fed continuously.

Optimization of survival rate and growth performance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in integrated rice-fish farming system with application of fentine acetate as molluscicide

Fentin acetate is used as a pesticide in rice fields to eradicate pests. Research with physiological factors approach is expected to increase the survival rate and growth performances of tilapia. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of different concentrations of fentin acetate on the biological performance and hematological characteristics of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The research used 16 rice fields with a 30 m2 each (6 x 5 m). The research design used a completely randomized design with four treatments and three replications: A. 0.00 g L−1, B. 0.375 g L−1, C. 0.75 g L−1 and D. 1.5 g L−1. The results showed that treatment C resulted in the best growth of tilapia. It was noted that absolute weight gain, daily growth rate and productivity were significantly different (P<0.05) with treatments A, B and D. The highest value in treatment C were 20.53 g (absolute weight gain), 5.43 (daily growth rate) and 501.58 g (productivity). The survival rate in treatments B and C were not significantly different (P>0.05) as well as treatments A and D. The concentration of molluscicide fentin acetate at a dose of 0.75 g/L affected the decrease in the hematological characteristics of tilapia.

The effect of feeding black soldier fly larvae on growth performance, protein, and fat content of red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis spp.).

In the aquaculture industry, the crucial goal is to minimize production costs, especially feeding costs, without significant side effects. Black soldier fly larva (BSFL) is a locally available, eco-friendly, and sustainable source that is high in crude protein (42% dry matter [DM]) and fat (35% DM). This study aimed to determine the growth performance along with the composition of crude fat and protein in red hybrid fingerlings after the addition of BSFL into the diet. A total of 120 fingerlings of uniform size (mean initial weight of 1.46 ± 0.06 g) were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 10) (A, B, C, and D) per tank (1 m × 2 m × 1 m). For 21 days, Group A (control group) was fed with 100% commercial diet; Group B was fed with 90% commercial fish diet + 10% BSFL; Group C was fed with 80% commercial fish diet + 20% BSFL; and Group D was fed with 70% commercial fish diet + 30% BSFL. Feed efficiency, growth performance, and proximate composition analysis were performed on the fish. The results displayed that the group with the highest BSFL percentage had a greater effect on protein and fat composition than the control group. The proximate composition analysis of fish-fed diet revealed that an increase in the level of BSFL inclusion increases the protein content in the fish. In comparison to the other groups, the experimental diet with 30% BSFL inclusion has the highest levels of crude protein (80.30% DM) and fat (2.90% DM). It is concluded that incorporating BSFL into a commercial diet for red hybrid tilapia fingerlings increased crude protein and fat composition, providing an alternative protein and fat source in fish diets.

Production performance, fillet quality and cost effectiveness of red Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) culture in different biofloc systems

The accumulation of biofloc in a rearing media that may bring about some adverse effects on the cultured fish, can be addressed by using a settlement tank. This study aimed to compare the production performance and flesh quality of red tilapia Oreochromis sp. in biofloc systems with and without a settlement tank. This study comprised of two treatments, i.e. biofloc system with settlement tank (Bioras) and biofloc system without settlement tank (Biofloc), each maintined in triplicates. Fish was reared in outdoor tarpaulin tanks with a diameter of 3 m and a height of 1.2 m, which were filled with about 5 m3 of water. Tilapia with an initial average weight of 100 g was cultured at an initial density of 5 kg m−3 for 112 days with a partial harvest conducted on day 42. The fish was fed with a commercial diet containing 30.5% crude protein to apparent satiation twice a day. The results showed that the production performance of red tilapia in Bioras (75 kg) was higher than that of the conventional biofloc system (70 kg). Mild deformities and limited parasite infestation were observed in the gills of the fish housed in the Bioras system. The fish quality was similar between the treatments, except for the hardness (8.4 kgf), gumminess (3.4 kgf), and chewiness (1.8 kgf), which was higher in the fish housed in the conventional biofloc system. The increase in fish growth in Bioras system could not compensate the increase in cost for the investment and operation of the settling tank, which was about 17% higher in the Bioras system. In conclusion, the present study confirmed that the addition of a settlement tank can be beneficial in controlling biofloc biomass and could improve the growth performance, but not yet profitable for red tilapia commercial production.

Lactobacillus-fermented wheat bran, as an economic fish feed ingredient, enhanced dephytinization, micronutrients bioavailability, and tilapia performance in a biofloc system

Fermentation of animal feed has been approved for its contribution to the nutritional quality, lowering feed costs and pollution when treated with appropriate microorganisms. Fermentation could significantly improve micronutrients bioavailability of aquafeed. Therefore we aimed to use the wheat bran as an economic feed for tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) in a biofloc system after fermentation with dephytating Lactobacillus sp. Lactobacillus rhamnosus KU985435 was selected according to phytase production and growth intensity as it showed good enzyme activity (343 U/L) and growth intensity (2 × 1010 CFU/ml). Total protein, carbohydrates, and antioxidants were higher in the fermented wheat bran. In contrast, a potential reduction in phytic acid content was detected (from 4.2 to 0.07%) compared to the control. The green edible alga, Chlorella vulgaris, was added twice daily to improve fish growth and health. Final body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate, and protein efficiency ratio were significantly higher for fish received fermented wheat bran compared to control. Also, crude protein content was higher, and crude fat was lower in the whole fish body. Interestingly, fish fed with fermented wheat bran recorded the highest values of hemoglobin and RBCs count with the lowest values of cholesterol and triglycerides. Finally, histopathological examination of fish bones significantly confirmed restoring the normal trabecular thickness and interconnectivity with narrow inter-trabecular space and mineralization of most trabeculae. In conclusion, wheat bran could be incorporated as an economic fish feed after fermentation with the appropriate dephytating lactobacilli.

Improving quality of cassava peel meal as raw material for tilapia feed

Cassava peel meal (CPM) has potential as a raw material for fish feed due to its abundant availability and good nutritional content. The high crude fiber content inhibits the use of CPM as a raw material for fish feed. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of Aspergillus niger fermentation of CPM on dietary nutrient digestibility and growth performance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). It was conducted in 2 stages. The first stage was a fermentation process of CPM, which used a factorial randomized design consisting of a dose difference of A. niger, namely 10, 15, 20, 30 g.kg-1 and a fermentation time of 0, 12, 24 hours with 3 replications each. At a dose of 1.5% of A. niger during 24 hours of fermentation, the crude fiber content of fermented CPM was reduced up to 7.19%. the second stage was a 45 days feeding trial on tilapia used a completely randomized design consisting of 3 different treatments with 3 replications, namely: reference feed, unfermented cassava peal meal based diet (CPMD), and A. niger fermented CPMD. A. niger fermented CPMD showed an increase in growth, dry matter, protein, energy, and raw material digestibility, as well as daily growth rate compared to unfermented CPMD. The daily growth rate of fermented CPMD of 1.32%/day was significantly higher with P0.05 than the unfermented CPMD of 0.72%/day. Furthermore, the digestibility value of material test in the fermented CPMD (48.73%) was significantly higher (P0.05) than unfermented CPMD (11.74%). These results indicate that A. niger fermented CPM has the potential to be used as raw material for tilapia fish feed. Keywords:Aspergillus nigerFermentationTilapiaCrude fiber