ABSTRACT

Growth, feed utilization, and economic limit of commercial pelleted feed were compared between daily fed and feed deprived groups of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) raised under low density. Groups of C. gariepinus were fed daily (treatment two, treatment four, and treatment six) and on alternate days (treatment one, treatment three and treatment five) for 7months (i.e. 28 weeks), with 45% crude protein commercial pellets. Feeding was at a rate of 6% body weight every 3rd day which was considered satiation feeding. Cost and revenue were determined on the basis of feed cost and revenue from fish sales respectively. The highest mean weight of (54.83±0.5) was observed in fish fed 2% of their body weight everyday followed by (49.90±50.2) at 1% everyday, whereas the lowest value (17.9±13.02) was found in 3% every 3( day. The highest FCR value (1.75±0.13) was observed in treatment one and significantly different from 1% everyday, treatment six (0.98±0.38), which exhibited the best feed conversion ratio among the treatments. Treatment six recorded the highest cost benefit ratio (4.80±1.34) as shown in figure 6, significantly different from that observed in other treatments. This implies that the fish fed 1% of their body weight every day (treatment six) resulted in the best returns.