Growth Performance of African Catfish (Clarius Gariepinus) Fingerlings Fed on Different Diets of Daphnias as Live Fish Feed

The production of fingerlings depend on better feeding using organic materials, farm waste from other enterprises can become converted to higher value inputs to nearby fish ponds. Catfish feed on zooplanktons (daphnia) and other hydrobios. Fertilization of these ponds using organic waste proliferate the growth of these zooplanktons and raise the yields of fish ponds. A culture of water fleas (daphnias) was used to provide live fish feed for the fingerlings. Different farm manure: biogas effluent, chicken waste and pig manure came up with the best manure to use for the growth of clarius gariepinus fingerlings. Daphnias were raised on dug out ponds, which were fertilized using biogas effluents, chicken manure and pig manure differently. Fertilization of these ponds was done at an interval of seven days.

Water fleas (Daphnia) were then harvested using 100μm zooplankton net at density 200/ml. The organisms were rinsed on a submerged filter in clean water consisting of 2 filter screens. The upper mesh size (200μm) retained large waste particles, while the lower sieve (100μm) collected the washed organisms. Feeding of the fingerlings was done three times/day (treatment at 3% body weight while all the live feed was washed clean with water and fed to the fish fry to satiation not less than 100 live organism/fry/meal. Percentage weight gain of C. gariepinus fry within the period of the experiment was calculated. The initial weight of the fish at the commencement of the experiment and final weight was determined using Metler weighing balance (model P168). Biweekly weight measurements were taken to monitor weight gain. The Specific Growth Rate (SGR), survival and mortality rates and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) were also calculated. Data was analysed as per the results got. The study found that chicken manure was the best manure based on the outcome of both the weight and the length of the fingerings, Specific Growth Rate and Feed Conversion Ration. Pig manure came in second, while cow manure performed poorly. The study thus recommends the use of chicken manure in rearing Clarius gariepinus. Specific growth rate, mortality and survival rate and feed conversion rate was calculated using specific formulas, chicken manure was the best as per the findings followed by pig and cow respectively.