Profitability of Using Five Different Commercial Tilapia Starter Feeds on the Ghanaian Market in Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus Fingerlings Production

Choice and use of fish feed should not only depend on good fish growth but also, on higher returns on investment. Growth performance and cost-effectiveness of five tilapia starter feeds (Aller Aqua, ARDECFeed, Koudijs, Naam Papa and Raanan) to produce Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings were investigated. The feeds, with crude protein (CP) contents ranging from 42.0 to 60.0%, were randomly coded A, B, C, D and E. The study was conducted in fifteen fine mesh net hapas, each of dimensions 5.0x2.0x1.2 m, installed in three 0.2-hectare earthen ponds with each containing a replicate of each feed type. Nile tilapia fry, ranging from 0.05 to 0.08 g with an initial mean weight of 0.06±0.01 g were stocked at 500 fry hapa-1 and they were fed at 20.0% of their biomass; three times daily. The feeding rate was reduced to 10% when the fry attained mean weights ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 g and finally to 5.0% when they were greater than 5.0 g. The feeding trial lasted for nine weeks (63 days). Fry final mean weight ranged from 17.34±9.12 to 23.62±14.39 g, with B being significantly higher (Tukey`s HSDT, P<0.05) whilst there were no significant differences (ANOVA, P>0.05) among A, C, D and E. The profit indices ranged from 4.13±0.55 to 14.63±0.38, with D being the highest and B, the least. Hence, tilapia hatchery operators should opt for feeds that give higher profit indices, lower production and incidence costs for fingerlings production.