Effect of Different Feeding Rates on Growth Performance and Survival Rate of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L. 1758) Fingerlings Reared in Rectangular Hapas

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of feeding ration on the growth and survival of Oreochromis niloticus. Three experimental hapas (T1, T2 and T3) were studied for a total of 8 weeks. The hapas had a rectangular shape and the same size (0.0725 decimal). In each of the three experimental conditions, 420 fish/decimal were stocked. The fish were fed 8% of their body weight in T2 and 12% of their body weight in T3. In T1, the fish were reliant on food that occurred naturally in their environment. In T2 and T3, fishes were fed twice daily. The proximate composition of the experimental diet was as follows: 11% water, 30% protein, 6% fat, 10% ash, and 7% fiber. Throughout the trial period, it was determined that the range of water quality parameters (water temperature 28-32°C, dissolved oxygen 5.6-7.8 mg/l, and water pH 7.5-8.6) were suitable for Tilapia culture. The initial mean weight of Tilapia fry in each of the three treatments was 3g, and their final mean weight gain was 6.8±4.77 g for T1, 9.88±5.76 g for T2 and 19.2±9.9 g for T3, respectively. The average initial length for the three treatments was 5 cm, and the average final length gain was 8.2±6.15 cm, 9.86±7.36 cm, and 12.2±8.23 cm for T1, T2 and T3, respectively. The T3 group, which was fed at a rate of 12% of body weight, attained the highest length and weight, whereas the T1 group, with no supplemental nutrition revealed the least gain in terms of length and weight.