EVALUATION OF SWEET POTATO (Manihot esculenta) PEEL MEAL DIET ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF CATFISH (Clarias gariepinus, BURCHELL, 1822)

Abstract

This study evaluated the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fed varying levels of sweet
potato peel meals for 90 days, April - June 2019. Diets were formulated at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% levels
of sweet potato peels meal inclusion represented as B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5 (B1= Control Group). 200 healthy
fingerlings were used for the study. There were variations in the nutritional composition of the diets formulated
with sweet potato peels used for the study. There were little variations in initial weights of C. gariepinus in the
treatments, which did not show any significant difference (P<0.05) in size. Diet B1 (0%) gave the highest final
weight (76.31g) and body weight gain (62.11g), which did not differ significantly (P<0.05) from B2 (25%) (68.40g)
and (54.87g) respectively. The specific growth rate was highest in diet B1 (0%) and can be compared with diet B2
(25%) although this differs significantly (P>0.05) with other treatments. The feed conversion ratio was also
highest in B1 (0%) and compare favourably with B2 (25%), which differ significantly (P>0.05) from other
treatments. The protein efficiency ratio was highest in B5 (100%) and lowest in B1 (0%), which decreased with an
increased level of sweet potato peels meal inclusion. There was a high survival rate of fish in the treatments with
B1 (0%) as highest and B5 (100%) as lowest, which differ significantly (P>0.05). It is recommended that 25%
inclusion of sweet potato peels meal should be used for profitable fish production at present.