K.B. Workagegn

Department of Biology, Hawassa University, P.O. Box05, Hawassa, Ethiopia
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2012, Vol. 2, No. 9   doi: 10.5376/ija.2012.02.0009
Received: 05 Oct., 2012    Accepted: 25 Oct., 2012    Published: 13 Nov., 2012

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Workagegn, 2012, Evaluation of Growth Performance, Feed Utilization Efficiency and Survival Rate of Juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) Reared at Different Water Temperature, International Journal of Aquaculture, Vol.2, No.9 59-64 (doi: 10.5376/ija. 2012.02.0009)

This study was conducted to investigate the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency and survival rate of juvenile Oreochromis niloticus reared in aquaria at different water temperature. The fish with average body weight of 4.19 g were reared at 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34℃water temperature for 90 days. The stocking density was 10 fish per 50 L of water. Diet of 27% crude protein was offered three times a day at the rate of 10% of their body weight. 100% of water volume was changed once in two days intervals. Growth and feed utilization efficiency of the fish were recorded at two weeks intervals. The results revealed that the growth of juvenile Oreochromis niloticus was found to be higher (57.24 g) with better BWG (53.14 g), SGR (2.93%/day), FCR (2.43), MGR (3.89 gkg^0.8/day) and PER (1.97) on the fish reared at 32℃ water temperature followed by 30℃ (51.15 g), while the lowest growth was observed at 24℃ water temperature (29.32 g). The results also revealed that the fish reared at 34℃ water temperature had reddish colour around the fines and the operculum which were not occur on the other fish reared at other rearing water temperature. Moreover, the size at first sexual maturation was small for the fish reared at higher water temperature as compared with lower water temperature, but shorter rearing period. Survival rate of the fish was the same at all rearing water temperature. It is conclude that the water temperature ranging from 28℃ to 32℃ is optimum for rearing of Oreochromis niloticus. This study is also demonstrated that Oreochromis niloticus can be cultured in the rift valley region of the country where the average atmospheric temperature is above 26℃.

Aquarium culture; Feed utilization efficiency; Growth performance; Oreochromis niloticus; Water temperature