EFFECT OF USING DIFFERENT SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATE IN PRACTICAL DIETS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF NILE TILAPIA OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS (L) FINGERLINGS

A10-week feeding trial was conducted in aquaria with (1.93  0.2 g) Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings, to examine the effect of different dietary arbohydrate sources in prepared diets. Corn meal, wheat bran, starch, date palm and akalona were incorporated into experimental rations at isonitrogenous (33.2 % crude protein) and isocaloric (488.6 kcal gross energy /100 g of diet). The results revealed that, there is a significant difference (P  0.01) in the final individual weight, weight gain %, specific growth rate % (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiencyratio (PER), net protein utilization (NPU) and feed intake among fish groups. The highest final individual weight, weight gain %, SGR %, feed intake and condition factor (K) were recorded with diet 2, which contained wheat bran, while the best FCR, NPU and FER were obtained in diet 1, which contained corn meal. Body composition of fish flesh(on dry and wet basis %) were significantly different (P  0.01) among treatments. The best results of protein and fat contents were achieved in case of fish fed on diet 2, which contained wheat bran and diet 1 containing corn meal. The sources of carbohydrate in the diet significantly affect the crude protein, fat and energy digestibility coefficients. These results suggest that, wheat bran or corn meal at the 28.5 % level of the diet can efficiently be utilized as anenergy source in ration for Nile tilapia diets, wheat bran being the best.