Utilization and growth response of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings fed varying inclusion levels of livestock vitamin grower´s premix

A 70 day experiment was conducted to determine the correct level of inclusion of livestock vitamin premix in the diet of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings and to monitor the utilization efficiency and growth performance of the test fish. 180 fngerlings of C. gariepinus were randomly distributed to six treatments, each weighing 0.76 ~c 0.05g. Thirty fingerlings per treatment were used. Each treatment had varying levels of livestock vitamin premix except the control that had no additional vitamin premix. Weighings of fish were done weekly and feed adjusted accordingly. The data collected were subjected statistically to descriptive and analysis of variance. All the treatments were significantly different from each other and also from the control at (P < 0.05). The highest mean weight gain was recorded in treatment 5 (0.910) which had 2% premix inclusion. The carcass analysis showed Ts with the highest crude protein level (64.43%). The highest daily and weekly mean weight gain were recorded in treatment 5; O.013g and 0.130g respectively. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lowest in T1, (2.147). The FCR for T5 (2.535) was insignificantly different (P < 0.05) from T1,. The fish feed control had the best FCR. T5 had the best utilization and growth performance when the average weight gain and the carcass crude protein composition and energy were compared. The fat deposited in fingerlings fed T5 were moderately (5.63) lower than treatment 6 with 5.86. It can be concluded that the fish fed treatment 5 will be less fatty than fish fed treatment 6 but more fatty than the fish fed the controls.