Abstract

In this study, 180 juvenile Clarias gariepinus fish were raised for twelve weeks, and the growth performance of four different commercial fish feeds; Coppens, Vital, Topfeed, and Bluecrown were examined. A thorough one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the data for each parameter at a significance level of 5%., significant variations in growth performance among the feed treatments were observed. Coppens emerges as the top-performing feed, showcasing the highest weight gain at an average of 78.43±0.02g, specific growth rate (SGR) with a mean value of 2.40±0.00, and impressive survival rates of 91.11%±2.22. In stark contrast, Vital feed records comparatively less favourable growth performance, characterized by a weight gain of 60.42±0.02g, SGR of 2.15±0.00, and survival rates of 86.67%±3.85. The feeds' proximate analysis confirmed that there are notable nutritional differences. Coppens notably excels in crude protein content at 48.50%±1.02, marking a noteworthy difference among the feeds. This investigation emphasizes the essential role of selecting high-quality, nutritionally balanced feeds in optimizing the growth and development of aquaculture. The research findings highlight substantial differences in growth performance and feed quality among commercial feeds, emphasizing the critical importance of feed choice in aquaculture production.

Key words: Aquaculture, Clarias gariepinus, commercial fish feeds, growth performance