International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research

Authors
Birbu U, Y Kutwal, Wade J Wokton, Audu B Sambo

Abstract
This work was aimed at determining the efficacy of three manipulated diets (decapsulated Artemia, chicken egg yolk and 0.2mm vital feed) to serve as the best starter feed to catfish fry of Clarias gariepinus. Artemia and vital 0.2mm feed were bought from a Fish feed shop at Zarmaganda Junction and chicken egg was also bought from poultry farm all in Jos. The treatments were A (Artemia=AED) control), B (Egg yolk=YED), C (0.2mm vital feed=VED) and D (egg yolk + 0.2mm vital feed =YVED). Three days old fry were 300 counted in to each treatment bowls with 8cm volume of water including two replicates. A total of 1200 fry were used. Twelve 10 volume circular bowls capacity of water were bought and constructed with flow in and out water system. The egg was boiled, yolk removed, dissolved in 30ml of water, the solution drawn with Pasteur’s pipettes and was administered drop by drop. The other feeds were squeezed with two fingers for the fry. All were fed to satiation four times a day at an interval of 6hrs for two weeks. The result revealed that, YED was the best in all the growth indices and were significantly (p< 0.05) different from other treatments after 7 days. However, after 14 days YVED was the best and were also significantly (p< 0.05) from other treatments. It is therefore recommended that the combination of chicken egg yolk and 0.2mm vital feed be used as starter feed of catfish fry Clarias gariepinus.