Montmorillonite Clay As Mineral Supplement In The Diet Of Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus)
Keywords:
Montmorillonite, Mineral Supplement, Catfish, PerformanceAbstract
In a 3-week experiment, the value of Montmorillonite clay as mineral supplement for catfish was investigated. Eighty four fingerlings aged 6 weeks were randomly assigned to 6 groups of 14 fingerlings with each group weighing 14g average. Two diets containing 30% crude protein were formulated. Diet 1(control) was based on commercial premix as mineral supplement which was replaced with Montmorillonite clay in diet 2. Each three groups of fingerlings received one of the diets for three weeks of experimentation. Result showed no significant difference in daily gain and final body weight between the two groups. The cost of the feed was reduced on the Montmorillonite-clay-based diet and the skin quality of the fish improved on this diet compared to the control. There was no mortality during the experiment. It was concluded that Montmorillonite clay can completely replace mineral/vitamin premix in catfish diets with no adverse effect on growth. The substitution reduced the cost of fish feed and improved the skin quality thus, the market value of the fish.
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