EFFECT OF POULTRY LITTER AS AN ORGANIC FERTILIZER, IN WATER QUALITY, PARASITIC ABUNDANCE, AND GROWTH NILE TILAPIA

Nile tilapia feed on plankton in natural environments. This food source can be increased in ponds through fertilization and can reduce feed expenses or improve fish performance when used as supplementary food. Organic fertilization is an alternative to commercial fertilization; however, its use increases concerns regarding water quality and sanitary aspects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the use of poultry litter as organic fertilizer on the physical and chemical parameters of water, gill ectoparasite metazoan abundance, and growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) during the culture cycle lasting 240 days. Four earthen ponds, two fertilized with poultry litter and two non-fertilized ponds, as fertilized and non-fertilized treatments, respectively, were used. Stocking density was 3 fish per m2 with an average initial weight of 0.64 ± 0.15 g. The mean water quality values and the growth performance parameters of Nile tilapia did not show significant differences between the two treatments. The gill parasites found in the fish belonged to the class Monogenea, comprising two genera, Cichlidogyrus and Scutogyrus, with significant differences between treatments. The non-fertilized treatment showed a high abundance of parasites throughout the culture cycle months, with peak abundance in the months with low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the water.