Can aquatic plant (Eichhornia crassipes) be used as a partial substitute for carp fish feed?

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of using Eichhornia crassipes as a partial substitute for vegetarian meals to reduce the cost of feeding fish. Eichhornia crassipes powder was included in fish feed at different levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%), and it was fed in Cyprinus carpio L. farms using plastic container for 45 days. The obtained results showed that the final weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) was (15.83; 9.8) gm respectively in the first treatment during the 45th day, highest percentage compared to the control treatment. Non-Significant differences were observed between treatments and days in feeding fish at p˃0.05 compared with the control treatment. The average intestines length of fish shows the highest increase in the first treatment compare to control, and it may be the best criterion for growth with this concentration. We conclude that the E. crassipes (25%) can be replaced as a partial substitute for meals. Therefore, experiments at other concentrations of lower than 25% are recommended to reach the best growth standards.