Université NANGUI ABROGOUA, UFR des Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Laboratoire d’Environnement et de Biologie Aquatique (LEBA), 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire
A feeding study was conducted at the NANGUI ABROGOUA University fish farm between August and September 2022. It assesses the effects of one an imported extruded diet (KOUDIJS) used as a reference (AR) and three practical diets (ACOP, ACOT and MA), on growth and cost-benefit ratio. These diets contain 30% protein. The basic composition of formulated diets is: ACOP (coconut and soybean oil cakes, rice and wheat bran, vegetable oil); ACOT (cotton seed and soybean oil cakes, rice and wheat bran, vegetable oil) and AM (Cotton seed, coconut and soybean oil cakes, rice and wheat bran, vegetable oil). Larvae weighing 145 mg ± 6 were fed to satiety in 8 aquariums at the density of 4 larvae/L. The larvae were fed at 9h, 11h, 13h and 15h. After 35 days of rearing, the final average weights obtained were 1.45 ± 0.01g, 1.51 ± 0.01g and 1.67 ± 0.01g, respectively for ACOP, AM and ACOT, against 1.85 ± 0.06g for AR. The best feed conversion index (CI= 1.31 ± 0.04) and daily growth (1.71 ± 0.06g/day) were obtained with AR, followed by ACOT. The highest feed conversion index (CI= 1.68 ± 0.01) and lowest daily growth (1.33 ± 0.00g/day) were recorded with ACOP. Compared to AR, formulated diets reduced feed cost per unit weight gain by 66-71%.