Animal Blood supplemented diet can improve growth performance, body composition and blood profile of Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Background: Artificial feeding is an effective way to enhance fish production, development and carrying capacity of the culture system to feed the increasing human population. This study was designed to determine and compare the effects of supplementation of basal fish feed with plant (soybean meal) and animal blood as protein sources.Methods: The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized block design. A total of 135 Genetically Improved Farm Tilapia were randomly divided into three groups comprising three replicates and kept in controlled conditions in nine glass aquaria for a period of ninety days. The animals were provided basal diet, plant and animal protein supplemented diets throughout the experiment. Water quality parameters were recorded on a routine basis while growth performance, blood indices and chemical analysis of the body was recorded after ninety days of trial.Results: Overall, water quality parameters remained within the normal range, which highlights those diets had no detrimental effect on the quality of the water and in all groups. However, the fish kept on animal-based protein source diet presented higher growth performance, crude protein and lipids contents, red blood cell count and normal serum ALT, AST, and ALP levels In contrast the fish kept on plant protein diet displayed comparatively lower meat quality and signs of toxicity viz., raised level of hepatic enzymes.Conclusion: From these results, it was concluded that fish fed on diet having blood meal supplementation showed higher performance in comparison to fish groups fed on other diets.