Growth performance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linn.) in relation to provision of substrate and supplementary feeding, and grown in brackishwater ponds

Abstract

The present study attempts to assess the effects of periphyton and supplementary feeding with commercial pelleted feeds on the growth performance of juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (mean body weight 1.49g) grown in inland brackish groundwater ponds for 90 days. Three treatments (with bamboo substrate grown with periphyton; with supplementary feeding without bamboo substrate; control – neither bamboo substrate nor supplementary feeding) were tested in duplicate in brackish water ponds. Irrespective of the treatments, all ponds were fertilized with cowdung at 7500 kg?ha-1?yr-1. Increase in the growth of fish reared in ponds provided with substrate was significant (P{