Effects of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) Leaf Meal Supplementation on Growth and Survivability of Pangasius Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) Juvenile

Aquaculture is rapidly expanding sector having crucial role in global food security. Feed ingredients and feed quality are essential factors for the sector’s development. The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) diet as a supplement on growth and survivability of Pangasius catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) Juvenile. A total number of 120 juvenile pangasius catfish were stocked into 12 tanks, each tank having ten (10) pangasius juvenile with three replicates. Four iso-nitrogenous diet having water hyacinth leaf meal replacing fish meal with different concentrations were divided into four groups viz. control group (0%), T1 (10%), T2 (20%), and T3 (30%) water hyacinth diet, respectively. Juvenile mean body weight of each group were recorded on the 1st day of experiment as (15.22±1.72 g) and after 45 days of experiment, the final mean body weight gain of each group was recorded as control group (30.82±2.24 g), T1 (30.98±1.67g), T2 (33.52±2.13 g) and T3 (37.26 ± 1.47 g). The specific growth rate of each group was recorded (0.31±0.03, 0.32±0.03, 0.39±0.02 and 0.43 ± 0.05 g/day). The highest protein efficiency ratio was recorded in group T3 (1.66 ± 0.19), when compared with other groups. The lowest feed conversion ratio was recorded in group T3 (2.28 ± 0.38). Among the treatment groups, the highest survival rate were recorded in group T3 (96.33%). The study revealed that a better performance indices as the percentage of water hyacinth increases However, best performance was found with inclusion of 30% water hyacinth diet were significant different (p<0.05).