REPLACEMENT Of FlSHMEAL WITH SHRIMP WASTE SILAGE IN DIETS Of AFRICAN CATFISH CLARIAS GARIEPINUS (BURCHELL. 1822) FINGERLINGS

Abstract

Five (5kg) of raw mixed shrimp waste was fermented with 250ml of Lactobacillus plantarum, using 750g of cane molasses as carbohydrate source. After incubation for 14 days, a desirable and stable pH of 4.39 was attained, the product was co-dried with 15% (750g) hydrolysed feather meal. The blends were evaluated as protein providing 58.90% crude protein. The dried shrimp waste silage meal were incorporated as protein supplement into pelleted diets for catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings (12.05±0.03g) at 0%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% (diets 1- 6) as replacement levels for brown fishmeal (72% protein). The effects of the diets of the shrimp waste silage (diets 1-6) on the growth and economic performance of the catfish fingerlings were evaluated. Results showed that catfish fed diets 1- 6 (0- 40%) showed no significant difference (P>0.05) in food conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and apparent digestibility of nutrient (ADC protein) but there were significant difference (P<0.05) in protein productive value (PPV) among the(P>0.05) treatments. However, the fingerlings fed diets 1- 5 (0-30%) showed no significant difference (P<0.05) in mean weight gain but differed significantly (P~0.05) with the mean weight gain of the fish fed diet 6 (40%). The result showed that the best profit margin would be realized by feeding the catfish with 30% (diet 5) fermented shrimp waste silage meal. It was concluded that dried fermented shrimp waste silage meal is suitable and has a great potential feedstuff in African catfish diets up to 30% replacement for the highly expensive fishmeal.