NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF DIETS CONTAINING DRIED LACTIC-ACID FERMENTED FISH SILAGE AND SOYBEAN-MEAL FOR JUVENILE OREOCHROMIS-NILOTICUS AND CLARIAS-GARIEPINUS

Dry diets containing varying levels of dried fermented fish silage and soybean meal blend (FS: SBM) as replacement for 25,50 or 75 % of fish meal protein were fed to juvenile Oreochromis niloticus (8.2 +/- 0.1 g) and Clarias gariepinus (10.8 +/- 0.3 g) at 5 % body weight per day for 70 days. Diets containing co-dried FS: SBM supported weight gains and growth rates similar to those in the control treatment without sig nificant differences (p > 0.05). Feed conversion, protein efficiency r atio and protein productive values followed a similar trend with growt h performance values. Apparent protein digestibility decreased in both fish species with increasing dietary level of co-dried FS: SBM. Carca ss composition of experimental fish were not affected by the diets and morphological defects were not observed. Results indicate that co-dri ed FS: SBM can partially replace fish meal protein as well as establis h the potential of utilizing waste/undersized tilapias as a protein fe edstuff in dry aquaculture diets.