Purpose The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of different animal product wastes and plant compost on survival and growth of earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Methods The study is realized in a vermibin for a duration of 90 days. The initial physico-chemical parameters (pH, humidity, ash, organic matter, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and C:N ratio) were determined in each waste of the different substrates before the study. Six waste products (pig, poultry, rabbit, cattle, sheep and vegetal compost) in triplicate (6 9 3) were used for earthworm production. In each 12-l content vermibin, 2 kg of substrate and 30 g of mature earthworms were sown. Each month, the growth control was realized by earthworms harvest and weighing. The earthworms were put back in substrate in vermibin and 500 g of substrate were completed. The pH was measured every week. Results The physico-chemical parameters (pH, ash, organic matter, carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and C:N ratio) varied (P \ 0.05) according to different substrate. The C:N ratio of different organic substrates are in the range of 8.46 in vegetable compost to 19.39 in pig dung. At the end of study the biomass gain and mortality varied (P \ 0.05) according to different treatments. The growth rate varied according to different organic waste (P \ 0.05) and ranged between -0.06 ± 0.02 (vegetable compost) and 1.34 ± 0.11 (cow dung). Maximum weight gain and highest growth rate were attained with cow dung. Earthworm biomass gain in different animal wastes is in the order of:Conclusion The animal wastes (cow, sheep, pig, rabbit and poultry) and vegetable compost can be used to produce the earthworm. But the growth and produce depend on the biochemical quality of the substrates and the availability and facility for using a nutritive element.

For Oreochromis niloticus rearing, a feeding test was carried out for 42 days on fingerlings fish with an average initial weight of 4.6 g. Five experimental isoproteic and isoenergetic diets (30.44±1% protein; 19.64±0.23 kJ. g-1) were formulated, including one (D1) control containing fish meal, and meet the essential amino acid requirements of Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings. In triplicate, fish meal was completely replaced by ratios of 3:5, 1:2, 2:5, 1:3 between Moringa oleifera leaves and maggots respectively for feed D2, D3, D4 and D5. At the end, significant differences (P<0.05) were observed on the growth and feed utilization performances between the control diet (D1) and the other (D2 to D5) diets without fish meal. These have been reduced in diets without fish meal. The survival and feed utilization were significantly affected by the ratios between Moringa oleifera leaves and maggot meals in the diets tested with the best results obtained with D2 diet (ratio 3:5). Protein levels in the carcass fed with experimental diets were high (D2 and D5). Maggots and Moringa oleifera leaves mixture can totally replace fish meal in Oreochromis niloticus diets but technological treatments, phytase addition and attractants could improve zootechnical performance.

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The captive breeding of the Silver catfish Schilbe intermedius was envisaged to promote the aquaculture and to reduce the overfishing of this endangered species. S. intermedius fingerlings were fed various dietary protein levels to investigate their growth performance, feed utilization and carcass proximate composition. Fish meal and casein were the sources of protein used in the study. Six isocaloric experimental diets containing 25%~60% crud protein (CP) diet have been fed to three-replicate six groups of forty ( 40) fishes (mean weight: (1.640±0.015) g) for 8 weeks. Both percent weight gain and feed efficiency ratio significantly increased with increasing dietary protein levels up to 45%, while there were no significant differences for protein levels from 45 to 60%. Growth performances and nutrient utilization parameters of fingerlings fed different diets varied significantly (p < 0.05) and the highest growth performance and nutrient utilization were obtained with fish fed on a 45% CP diet. The second order polynomial regression between dietary protein and specific growth rate (SGR) indicated that protein requirements of S. intermedius fingerlings ranged from 42.5 to 53% of diet. The highest protein content of the fish carcasses was found in fish fed 45% dietary protein and there was not significantly different (p > 0.05) with that of fish fed 60% dietary protein. Lipid content increased with increasing dietary protein levels. The dry matter and protein content of the initial sample were significantly higher (p > 0.05) than the values after feeding the fish with experimental diet.

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