Polyculture and fish yield in rice-cum-fish culture system in Dadin Kowa, Gombe, Nigeria

Rice-cum-fish culture was carried out in Dadin Kowa rice fields, Gombe State, Nigeria with a view to determining the effect of different combination of Clarias gariepinus, Oreochromis niloticus and Cyprinus carpio on fish yield. Six rice paddy fields labeled A – C were used for the sudy. Raised riceseedlings (FARO 27) were transplanted in the paddies before flooding of water. The fsh species were stocked at 200 fish / pond in three repcates in dferent combinatons as treatments I, II and III. The fish were fed with wheat bran and rice bran at5 %body weght The lowest rce yed(2560 kg/ha) was obtained in the paddy where rice was grown without fsh. The fsh production recorded in treatment I (534 kg) is significantly higher (P < 005) than in other two treatments. I is thereore recommended that rice farmers using irrigaton facilities of the river Basin Development Authorities should adopt the rice-cum-fish system for increased rice and fish production in NigeriaKeywords: Fish species combination, Rice-cum-fish culture, Fish yiel

Effect of different levels of Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate on Growth and Fat Composition Clarias Gariepinus Fingerlings

The effect of different levels of alpha-tocopherol acetate (Vitamin E) on growth performance, visceral fat and proximate composition of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings was investigated for 58 days. The results showed that final weight and total length was higher in fingerlings fed 300 mg/kgof vitamin E diet, while mean body weight gain, specific growth rate, relative growth rate, and average daily weight gain were higher in fish fed with 0 mg of vitamin E per kilogram of feed. Visceral fat escalated with an increase in the quantity of Vitamin E in the diet, though there was no significant difference (p&gt;0.05) between the visceral fat among all the treatments. Similarly, crude protein of the fingerlings continues to increase with an increase in the quantity of vitamin E. However, there was a slight decrease in the muscle fat composition of the fingerlings with an increase in the quantity of vitamin E in the diet. Vitamin E has little or no effect on the reduction of visceral fat in fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus, though fish fed with 300 mg/kgof vitamin E diet have lower muscular fat content. Key words: Alpha-tocopherol acetate, growth and fat composition, Clarias gariepinus, fingerling