Description

Abstract: An experiment was conducted at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, to investigate effects of feeding regimes on growth ofsex-reversed Thai red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). There were five different supplemental feeding regimes: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of satiation. Red tilapia fingerlings (33.2-33.4 g size) were stocked at 62.5 fish m-3 in fifteen 0.8-m3 net cages suspended in a 200-m2 earthen pond and cultured for 90 days. The pond was maintained at 10% salinity and fertilized weekly at rates of 4 kg N and 1 kg P ha-l d-1.

Growth performance of red tilapia was significantly better in feeding treatments than in the non-feeding treatment. Red tilapia growth and average feeding rate increased but FCR and ne~ economic return decreased with increasing percentages of satiation feeding levels from 25% to 100%. Considering low FCR, good growth and yield performance, high economic return and potential for growing to greater size, 50% satiation feeding was the most efficient feeding rate.