The use of cassava flour as a substitute for yellow maize in diets for Clarias gariepinus fingerlings

摘要

A 56-day study was conducted to determine the optimum level of substitution of maize with cassava flour in the diet of C. gariepinus. C. gariepinus fingerlings, 9-12.5 g, in groups of 25, were stocked into concrete tanks. Five diets were formulatedto contain a constant level of protein and varying amounts of cassava flour and/or yellow maize as follows: diet A (100% cassava flour), diet B (100% maize), diet C (50% cassava flour, 50% maize), diet D (67% maize, 33% cassava) and diet E (67% cassava,33% maize). Catfish fed on 100% maize showed better (P<0.05) growth and feed utilization with the best feed conversion ratio (FCR, 0.85), protein efficiency ratio (PER, 1.29) and specific growth rate (SGR, 2.36). Diet C containing equal proportions of maize and cassava flour gave the poorest FCR (1.56), the lowest SGR (1.57) and the lowest average daily gain (ADG, 0.26). The study showed that diet B was most suitable as a dietary energy source for C. gariepinus fingerlings and that cassava flour can completely replace maize.