Coconut meal levels in ration for fingerling Nile tilapia

Abstract

This experiment intents to evaluate the productive performance and the economic viability of feeding Nile tilapia under different levels of coconut meal in complete rations. One hundred-fourty four tilapia fingerlings (sexually reverted) had been used, with initial weight of 2,04 ± 0,02g and initial length of 4,05 ± 0,25cm, distributed in 24 aquariums (70 liters each) in a experimental design completely randomized, under four treatments with six repetitions. Were used four food sources, isoproteic and isoenergetic, differing from each other on coconut meal inclusion levels (0; 15; 30 and 45%). The experimental time was 75 days in a closed system of water recirculation. Differences were not observed on the profit of weight and average consumption rations, however an linear increasing effect was detected in the alimentary conversion, when increasing the coconut meal levels, Differences in the evaluated anatomo-physiological parameters were also not showed. As recommendation, this work suggests that the 15% coconut meal inclusion ration presents better performance and economic viability for tilapia fingerings.