Effect of L-Arginine on the Growth of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Arginine plays important roles in tissue repair, cell replication and collagen synthesis which impact animal growth and survival. An experiment was carried out in triplicate to evaluate the effects of L-arginine on the growth of Tilapia (O. niloticus) in twelve aquaria in “Fish Biology and Genetics Laboratory”, under the Faculty of Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, during 23 August 2013. Tilapia of 45 days were stocked in glass aquarium and fed regularly with different dose of L-arginine. Sampling was done weekly and recorded properly to evaluate improvement of body weight and length. O. niloticus fries having average weight and length 0.31 ± 0.01 gm and 2.71 ± 0.01 cm, respectively were fed with T1 (SD+0.00143% L-arginine of diet+Vit-E), T2 (SD+0.0143% L-arginine of diet+Vit-E), T3 (SD+0.143% L-arginine of diet+Vit-E) and T4 (SD+Vit-E) for 5 weeks. The net weight gain of fish in T3 (0.88 ±0.03gm) was significantly higher (p<0.01) than those of T1 (0 .72 ± 0.02gm), T2 (0.79 ± 0.02gm) and T4 (0.66 ±0.02gm). The net length gain of fish in T3 rd th July to 28 (1.553 ±0.04cm) which was significantly (p<0.01) higher than that of T2 (1.480 ±0.02cm), T1 (1.390 ±0.01cm) and T4 (1.290 ±0.03cm). Survival rate of fish were 77.33, 81.33, 86.67 and 73.33% in T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. However total net profit/treatment/35days of T3 (Tk. 37.93) was significantly higher ((p<0.01) than those of T2 (Tk. 32.24), T1 (Tk. 26.04) and T4 (Tk. 15.54). Benefit cost ratio (BCR) T3 (1.76) was higher than those of T2 (1.75), T1 (1.61) and T4 (1.38). Measured water quality parameters in different treatments during the experimental period were found to be similar and ranges were within acceptable limit for tilapia culture. On the basis of observed results, we can conclude that supplemental feed with 0.143% L-arginine might be a good growth indicator and profitable for mass culture of tilapia (O. niloticus).