Impact of Formulated Protein Diets on Growth of the Indian Major Carp, Labeo rohita (Hamilton)

Fresh water aquaculture in India is mainly carp-based and accounts for a considerable proportion of total aquaculture production. Feeding constitutes a major factor in fish culture since the fish obtain the maximum nutritional requirement through the food they consume. Protein forms one of the main components of fish feed and hence formulation of feeds that contain high amount of protein using cost-effective natural ingredients is very essential to achieve efficient production from fish culture. Labeo rohita is an extensively studied fish and contributes to a considerable proportion of fish production in India. In the present investigation, four different kinds of fish feed (using groundnut cake, azolla, rice bran and tapioca powder) were formulated with varying protein concentrations (30%, 35%, 40% and 45%) and given to L. rohita to assess the impact of the protein diet on its growth and bioenergetic parameters. The fish were fed with the formulated feed at a rate of 4% of their body weight for a period of 60 days. It was observed that the fish fed with formulated feed containing 40% protein content showed better growth results and improvement in bioenergetic parameters, compared to the other three feeds.