Restricted Feeding Strategy in <i>Labeo rohita</i> Fingerlings: Effects on Growth, Feed Utilization and Body Composition

A 90-day feeding trial was conducted to study the effect of qualitative and quantitative restricted feeding strategies on nutrient utilization and growth performance of rohu, Labeo rohita. Two experimental iso-caloric (355.82 - 357.58 kcal/100g) diets with two crude protein levels of 30% and 25% designated as diet A and B, respectively were prepared. One hundred and eighty fingerlings (3.95±0.06g)were distributed into five treatments in triplicates. The experimental design consists 1. Continuous feeding of diet A (T30, C); 2. Continuous feeding of diet B (T25); 3. Alternate feeding of diet A and diet B (T30/25); 4. Alternate day satiation feeding and starvation of Diet A (T30-1);and 5. Alternate day satiation feeding and starvation of Diet B (T25-1). Feeding was done twice daily throughout the experimental period. Results revealed that the dietary feeding regimes significantly affected growth parameters (P<0.05). However, growth performance in terms of specific growth rate (% SGR) and weight gain percent were similar among T30 (C), T30/25 andT30-1 groups. The FCR and PER of fish in dietary regimes T30-1 and T25-1 were better than feeding regime group of T30/25. Overall results of present study indicated that continuous feeding of 30% crude protein exhibited similar growth with that of 30% crude protein feeding followed by starvation(T30-1). From the economic point of view, feeding 30% of protein followed by one day starvation can be an alternative feeding strategy for grow-out culture of rohu.