Asian catfish fry (Clarias batrachus) rearing with wheatgrass powder mixed formulated feed in plastic half drum

Abstract

Wheatgrass is highly nutritive and a source of vitamins, minerals, protein, lipid, enzymes and antioxidant. Therefore, an experiment carried out with formulating diet using wheatgrass powder (Triticum aestivum) to compare the growth performances of Asian catfish magur fry (Clarias batrachus) with commercial pellet feed for a period of 113 days from 12 th September 2012 to 19 th January 2013 in the Department of Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. In the experiment, there were two treatments T1 and T2 and each treatment carried out with two replicates. An average initial length and weight of magur fry was 6.03 (±0.64) and 5.68 (±0.48) cm and 2.09 (±0.56) and 1.75 (±0.41) g in T1 and T2 respectively. After 113 days of rearing the mean length gain of magur fry was 1.31 and 1.93 cm, mean weight gain 1.02 and 2.61 g, percent weight gain 48.68 and 149.31, SGR 0.298 and 0.808, FCE 0.01 and 0.04, survival rate 83.33 and 36.67% and fish production 382.11 and 222.08 kg/ha in T1 and T2 respectively. The production and survival rate was significantly higher in the treatment T1. However, FCR was very high in the experiment. The present study suggests that along with the vitamins, minerals and protein the wheatgrass powder has some special properties which protected the fry from cold shock and death. Further in depth study need to be carried out to verify the result.