Growth performance of juvenile Clarias gariepinus fed Ipomoea aquatica based diets

A feeding trial was conducted to assess the replacement value of I. aquatica-based diet as dietary replacement of maize in the diets of C. gariepinus. Five isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 0% (control diet), 15% 30%, 45%, and 60% I. aquatica. Treatment was carried out in triplicate using ten C. gariepinus juvenile per replicate with mean initial weight of 9.0g. The fish at 5% body weight per day for a period of 8 weeks. The best growth response in terms of mean weight gain was obtained in 15% I. aquatica diet inclusion (35.57 ~c 3.44g), while fish fed 60% I. aquatica diet had the lowest growth response (23.80 ~c 1.18g), FCR was obtained in fish fed 60% I. aquatica (1.79 ~c 0.04), while the lowest was obtained in fish fed 15% I. aquatica. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in all the parameters of the treatments. The results revealed that any of the inclusion level can be used up to 60% inclusion level of I. aquatica. However, 15% inclusion level gave the best result in terms of growth