Effect of feeding Colocasia (Colocasia esculenta (L) Schottl corn flour as a part of energy supplement on growth and nutrient utilization in Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fingerlings

The objective of this study was to compare the nutritive value of boiled Colocasia esculenta flour (CECF) with that of yellow maize in practical rations of fingerlings. Boiling resulted in a slight increase in crude protein content and significant (84.5%) decrease in oxalate content. Five is oproteic (30% crude protein) and isocaloric (15.46 Kjg-1) diets were formulated. The control diet contained maize as the principal dietary energy source, while flour produced from boiled Colocasia corn progressively replaced maize at 5 inclusion levels (0%, 20%, 40% 60% and 80%). The experimental diets were fed to triplicate group of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings (mean weight 2.05~c0.5g) at 3% body weight day-1. Growth performance expressed as weight gain, specific grown rate (SGR) and nutrient utilization expressed as feed conversation ration (FCR), protein efficiency ration (PER) were assessed. There was a trend of decrease in weight gain with increase in inclusion level of CECF. Weight gains of groups of C. gariepinus fed up to 60% inclusion level of CECF were nog significantly (p>0.05) different from the group fed the control diet, the same trend was observed for SGR. FCR and other parameters were poorer (p<0.05) in digestibility coefficients among the different groups, also that carcass composition did not vary significantly (p