Comparative study on the effect of Raceway and In-Pond Raceway Systems on different Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus strains fed diets replacing soybean meal by poultry byproduct meal on: Water quality, growth performance and production efficiency

This study compared the effects of two aquaculture systems, In-Pond Raceway systems (IPRS) and Raceway system (RW), on water quality, growth performance, and production efficiency of two Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) strains: “genetically improved Abbassa Nile tilapia (GIANT) strain” and a non-improved local strain (Kafr El Sheikh) fed diets replacing 10% soybean meal by poultry byproduct meal. Fish (initial weight: 25.0 ± 1.0 g) were stocked at 120 individuals per hapa (1 × 1 × 1.75 m³) in triplicate groups, with 12 hapas per system and reared for 70 days. The water quality parameters (temperature, 27.5–30°C; dissolved oxygen, 6.50 mg/L; pH, 6.8–7.5) remained within the optimal range for tilapia production across both systems. GIANT strain reared in IPRS exhibited 1.38% day⁻¹ higher (P < 0.05) specific growth rate, and survival rate SR was 18.32% higher (P < 0.05) compared to Kafr El Sheikh strain. Similarly, GIANT tilapia achieved in IPRS exhibited 4.26% higher crude protein compared to RW, while crude fat was significantly lower in IPRS (P ≤ 0.05) compared to RW, and the viscera-somatic index (VSI) was significantly lower in GIANT cultured in IPRS correlating with reduced fat content, and there were no significant differences in any parameters measured on diets. In addition, total biomass showed higher (P ≤ 0.05) with GIANT in IPRS system about 689.78 kg/ha, and net yield was 2.20 kg/m³ compared to the Kafr El Sheikh strain. Moreover, Fillet yield increased 8.5% by IPRS-reared GIANT compared to RW systems. This study demonstrates that GIANT Abbassa strain cultured in IPRS outperforms in growth, yield, and fillet quality providing a sustainable model for intensifying tilapia aquaculture.