Growth performance of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings fed with water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) diets

Abstract

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) are herbivores with longer coiled intestines compared to carnivores; mouth characteristics necessary for plant shredding. Hence, several studies have been conducted to replace feed ingredients in the diet of Nile tilapia considering the increasing cost. In this study, Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) was evaluated as a potential feed ingredient for Nile tilapia. A six months feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of water spinach fish feed composition on the performance of Nile tilapia fingerlings. Five diets were formulated containing 0% (control diet), 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% water spinach composition. Each treatment was carried out in triplicate using 30 Nile tilapia juveniles per replicate with an initial mean weight of 2±1g. The fish were fed at 5% body weight twice per day. Water quality monitoring was done every morning before feeding. There was no significant (p > 0.05) variation in water quality parameters between all the treatments. The best growth performance was recorded from a fish-fed 5% diet (180.49±0.83 g), while fish fed with a 20% diet had poor growth performance (128.98± 0.80g). The highest SGR was obtained in fish fed with a 5% diet (1.34±0.05) while the lowest was obtained in fish fed with a 20% diet (1.09±0.05). Except for SGR, WG, FL, and FW, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in other growth parameters of all the treatments. Final weight had a significant difference as determined by One-Way ANOVA (F (4,316) =6.363, P=0.00) between 15% and 20% water spinach composition compared to 5% water spinach composition. Therefore, 5% water spinach composition had the best growth performance.

The Potential of Fermented Water Spinach Meal as a Fish Meal Replacement and the Impacts on Growth Performance, Reproduction, Blood Biochemistry and Gut Morphology of Female Stinging Catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis)

“…The SSF of water spinach is a unique method of delivering beneficial microbes into the fish intestine, which significantly impacts fish growth performance and feed conversion rate [ 26 , 27 ]. Several studies have investigated the impacts of water spinach meal (WSM) at various inclusion levels on the growth performance of fish [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], but none have identified the effects of this plant-based protein on fish reproductive performance. Specifically, data on the utilization of fermented water spinach meal (FWM) as a potential feed ingredient for the reproductive performance of female stinging catfish broodstock in the aquaculture sector remains lacking.…”

Comparative Study on Fatty Acids Composition of Lemna minor (Duckweed) Cultured in Indoor Plastic Tanks and Outdoor Earthen Ponds

“…They also act as precursors in the biosynthesis of hormones that regulate the reproductive cycle [6,7]. Some of the health benefits for humans include: neural development in infants, improvement of immune and inflammatory responses, prevention of cancer, mental, cardiovascular, and chronic diseases [2,4] In aquaculture, LC PUFAs are essential for fillets' quality of harvested fish, feed conversion efficiency, and reproduction, all of which are important determinants of production [8,9]. Most of the LC PUFAs used in aquafeeds are obtained from fish meal and animal oils [3], which are expensive and are increasingly under competition.…”

Preliminary studies of selected Lemna species on the oxygen production potential in relation to some ecological factors

“…L. minor is used as food in several Asian countries because of sufficient amounts of protein, starch and fatty acids ( Mwale & Gwaze, 2013 ; Ibrahim et al, 2017 ). Other than human food, L. minor is also used as livestock and poultry feed and has been reported to be very nutritious, providing phosphates and proteins ( Li et al, 2020 ; Zhao et al, 2012 ; Chepkirui et al, 2022 ; Chepkirui et al, 2023 ).…”