Partial or Complete Replacement of Yellow Corn with Biscuit By-Product in Diets for the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fingerlings | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||
| Article 160, Volume 29, Issue 4, July and August 2025, Pages 4917-4940 PDF (415.27 K) | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.446724 | ||
| Author | ||
| El-Nadi et al. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study evaluated the effects of partially or fully replacing yellow corn with biscuit by-product (BBP) at inclusion levels of 0, 10, 20, and 30% on the growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, blood parameters, energy retention (ER%), protein productive value (PPV%), and economic efficiency of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 120 fingerlings (181 ± 0.33 g) were randomly assigned to 12 aquaria (100 L capacity), each stocked with 10 fish. Proximate analysis of BBP revealed 96.82% dry matter (DM), 10.22% crude protein (CP), 2.56% crude fiber (CF), 8.83% ether extract (EE), 69.27% nitrogen-free extract (NFE), 9.12% ash, and 4,388 kcal/kg DM gross energy. All experimental diets were formulated to be iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric (29.58–29.90% CP and 4,554–4,562 kcal/kg DM gross energy). Growth parameters—including final weight, total gain, average daily gain (ADG), and specific growth rate (SGR)—were significantly (P< 0.05) improved in BBP-fed groups, with 100% survival observed in D2, D3, and D4. In addition, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) improved significantly. Most blood parameters were significantly affected, except for globulin, the albumin-to-globulin ratio, creatinine, and bilirubin. Body composition analysis showed significant increases in DM, CP, and ash, alongside reductions in moisture, organic matter (OM), EE, and gross energy (P< 0.05). ER% improved by 16.94, 33.95, and 45.14%, and PPV% by 51.07, 53.09, and 54.46% in D2–D4, respectively, compared to the control. Economically, BBP inclusion reduced feed costs while improving returns, with no adverse effects on growth or health. These findings indicate that BBP can serve as a cost-effective and nutritionally viable alternative to corn in tilapia diets. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Biscuits by-product; The Nile tilapia fish; Productive performance; Blood parameters; Energy retention; Economic evaluation | ||
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