Effects of using Blood Meal on the Growth and Mortality of Catfish

Abstract

The nutritional value of blood meal was investigated for its effects on the growth and mortality in African Catfish Clarias gariepinus Juveniles during a 56 days experiment. Blood was gotten from a local abattoir in the Muea neighbourhood and used to produce blood meal which was included in the fish feed at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. A total of 255 Clarias gariepinus Juveniles of mean weight 7.8833 ± 1.481 g and standard length 63.000 ± 2.361 mm were stocked equally in fifteen rectangular plastic tanks of size (0.32 m × 0.45 m × 0.24 m) arranged in three replicates per treatment with water level maintained at 75% volume. The fish were fed blood meal containing Crude Protein ranging from 18.74 20.98% and Gross Energy ranging from 3361.89  3607.34 kcal/kg at 5% of their body weight daily in two rations. Weekly weights recorded and feed supplied was used to compute the growth nutrient utilization parameters. The non-parametric tests were used to compare the significant differences for the four treatment groups while a paired sample correlation was used to compare weight gain within treatments. At the end of the 56 days study period, the growth performance parameters were best at treatment fed with 10% blood meal inclusion level, no mortality recorded and with the best feasible cost. The poorest was found at treatment fed with 15% blood meal Inclusion level which also recorded the highest mortality rate. The non-parametric Spearman's Rho test also gave a negative correlation between weights gained and dissolved oxygen values for all treatments and within weeks, hence the need for a proportionate increase in dissolve oxygen supply during aquaculture practices so as to reduce the oxygen deficiency in fish tanks.