Utilization of Dicalcium Phosphate and Different Bone Meals as Dietary Phosphorus Supplement in the Diets of Clarias gariepinus Fingerlings

Phosphorus is most limiting mineral in the diet of fish and must be supplied in the right quality and quantity to prevent its deficiency or toxicity in fish. A 70 day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the utilization of Dicalcium phosphate and different bone meals as phosphorus supplement in the diets of Clarias gariepinusfingerlings. At the start of the experiment, ten glass aquaria of size 70cm x 45 cm x 40 cm/each, filled with Well water up to 70L of its volume were stocked with one hundred (100) fingerlings (mean weight 6.00±0.02) g/one at 20 fish per treatment replicated twice using a complete randomized design. Five experimental diets (D1-D5) were formulated to be isocaloric (11.1kcal/kg) and isonitrogeneous (40%Crude Protein). D1(control) was without Phosphorus (P) supplementation and P (0.44%) deficient, while D2-D5 were supplemented with Dicalcium phosphate (DCP), Chicken bone meal (CHBM), Clarias bone meal (CLBM) and Cattle bone meal (CABM) at 1.46%, 1.43%, 1.46% and 1.54% respectively based on the available P in each supplement to give 0.8% available P in the diets. The results showed that fish fed with D3 (CHBM) was significantly (pË‚0.05) had the best growth performance in terms of Final Mean Weight Gain (FMWG) 14.40±0.14 g; Specific Growth Rate (SGR) 1.75±0.05 and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) 1.15±0.01. Phosphorus in the carcass of fish after the experiment was significantly (pË‚0.05) highest in D5 (26.05±0.21)mg/g and least in fish fed D1 (12.98±0.20) mg/g. The feeding trial established the necessity for phosphorus supplementation in the diets of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings for better growth and body mineralization.