Growth Performance and Nutrient Digestibility of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) Fed Diets Fortified with Tamarindus indica Pulp and Leaf Meal.

The global disapproval on the adverse effects of synthetic drugs necessitated research into efficacious alternatives that will enhance growth of food fish. This study was conducted to examine the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) fingerlings on diets fortified with tamarind pulp and leaf. The fingerlings (n = 900, 5.73±0.1 g) were randomly distributed into 10 groups of 100 L tanks with borehole water in a static renewal system. Fish were fed test diets fortified with 0.0% (positive control), 2 g oxytetracycline kg-1 diet (negative control) and four varying levels (5, 10, 15, 20 g.kg-1 diets) each of tamarind pulp or leaf meal at 3% body weight daily for 84 days. Fortification of the diets with tamarind significantly enhanced (P=0.05) weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, nitrogen metabolism and survival rate, with the best performance at 20 g pulp and 10 g leaf. The highest apparent nutrient digestibility, profit index and benefit cost ratio were also obtained at these two treatments. Feed conversion ratio was significantly reduced (P=0.05) while protein efficiency ratio increased in fish fed tamarind-fortified diets. Thus, inclusion of tamarind pulp and leaf promoted digestibility of nutrients, and consequently the growth performance, in Clarias gariepinus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]