Evaluating different levels of dietary germinated corn embryo powder on reproductive performance, physiological measurements of Nile tilapia brood-fish Oreochromis niloticus and growth performance of their larvae

Abstract

This work was performed to investigate the effect of different levels of germinated corn as a dietary ingredient on spawning efficiency and larval performance of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. The experimental treatments were conducted in a private hatchery. Ten hapas, each with dimensions (28m 3 ) were used to accomplish this work. Brood-stock was randomly stocked in each hapa with a sex ratio (1 male: 3 females, i.e.15 males: 45 females). The initial average weight of males and females were 194±10g and 185±15 g, respectively. Five experimental diets were formulated and applied on the two experiments as follows: control: brood-stock and fry fed a diet without germinated corn, T1, T2, T3, and T4: fish were fed diets containing different levels of germinated corn meal (1, 2, 3, and 4%, respectively). Statistical analysis showed that fish-fed diets containing 2% Sprouted corn were significantly better in growth performance, feeding utilization indices (HSI, VSI, GSI and condition Factors) and hatching indices (number of fry produced and survival of larvae) in comparison with other treatments. Besides blood hematological and biochemical parameters, fish that were fed with dietary germinated corn had the best results compared to control treatment. Thus, it is recommended that the inclusion of 2% germinated corn meal (T2) as feed additives for tilapia brood-stock is more useful for improving their growth performance, feed utilization, and reproductive performance.