Effect of feeding rate on the survival and growth of Clarias gariepinus fry weaned from zooplankton and Artemia

Commercial (Multifeed) diets were fed to Clarias gariepinus fry earlier weaned from decapsulated Artemia and dried mixed-cultured zooplankton at (3% and 5%) feeding rates each for 21 days, to assess fry survival and growth on the two feeding rate. Dietary treatments were in triplicate, in a completely randomized design. Fry were randomly distributed into 12 aerated, 30litres plastic tanks at a stocking rate of 30 fry per tank. The best percent survival (40.00±31.80) which was not statistically (P > 0.05) significant from other treatments was in the fry fed commercial feed at 3% feeding rate, which were weaned on zooplankton. Specific growth rate was not significantly (P > 0.05) different but higher (6.37±0.91) in the fry fed commercial feed at 5% feeding rate, earlier fed Artemia at 5% feeding rate. FCR, GFCE, and FE of fry fed commercial feed at 3% feeding rate, which were earlier fed zooplankton, were the best with no significant (P > 0.05) differences among the four treatments. The study revealed that the fry earlier fed decapsulated Artemia and those fed dried mixed cultured freshwater zooplankton could be weaned on commercial feed at 3% and 5% feeding rates, with no significant (P < 0.05) difference on the fry growth, survival and feed conversion.