Use Of Fish Silage as an Alternate Protein Source for the Spawn Rearing of Cirrhinus mrigala (Ham.)

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to study the efficacy of fish silage as an alternate protein source for rearing the spawn of Cirrhinus mrigala. 3 days old mrigal spawn of a single batch of initial average weight 3.5 ± 0.1 mg and length 6 ± 0.14 mm were stocked at a stocking density of 2nos/L in fibre glass tanks. For the first three days feeding was done with mixed zooplankton. From the fourth day onwards, four different types of feed were given with 6 replicates each for 30 days. The feeds were as follows: Conventional feed (Powdered ground nut oil cake and rice bran in the ratio 1:1) (T,), formulated commercial feed (T2), Dried and powdered fish silage made from low quality trash fish (T,) and Fish silage powder and conventional feed in the ratio 1:1 (T4). After 30 days, it was found that the percentage weight gain (12138), Specific growth rate (15.69) and Net Biomass Index (407.7) of the fish spawn fed with fish silage and conventional feed in the ratio 1:1 were significantly higher compared to those fed either conventional or commercial feed. The survival was not significantly different in any of the treatments. The results show that fish silage can be used as an alternative cheap protein source for the spawn rearing of C. mrigala, thereby reducing the cost of spawn rearing to a great extent.