Author(s): SO Dandi, K Baidoo and EH Alhassan

Abstract: Nutrition is a critical driver of farmed fish's ability to grow and reproduce. The increased cost and scarcity of fish feed have motivated additional research into alternatives and additives. As a result, fish meals must be augmented with additives. Feed additives are eatable substances that are added to fish meals in modest quantities to improve growth and minimize mortality rates. The current study investigated the synergistic effects of the broad spectrum antibiotics oxytetracycline (OXY) and erythromycin (ERY) combined in a ratio of 1:1 and administered to African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus through feed fed at 0% OXY/ERY gkg¹, 1% OXY/ERY gkg¹, 2% OXY/ERY gkg¹, and 3% OXY/ERY gkg¹ inclusion levels for 8 weeks. At the conclusion of the trial, feed samples, effluent samples, and water samples were analyzed on Catfish, Clarias gariepinus. The results showed that C. gariepinus, Catfish fed a 1% OXT/ERY diet performed much better in the proximate analysis than the control diet. Fish fed with 1% OXY/ERY showed significantly greater levels of calcium (87.9±1.02), percentage nitrogen (3.9±0.31), available phosphorus (3.3±0.7), and available potassium (95.7±4.66) in their effluent compared to other antibiotic inclusion levels and the control diet. Despite the potential for OXY/ERY applications in C. gariepinus Catfish cultivation, the results of this study show that fish fed with varied concentrations of OXY/ERY may have an impact on the quality of the cultivated water when compared to the control group. Taking all of the aforementioned into consideration, supplementing C. gariepinus feed with OXY/ERY could improve feed and effluent quality; however, its application may contribute to water quality deterioration, particularly at concentrations more than 1% and for extended periods of time.

DOI: 10.22271/fish.2024.v12.i5c.2980

Pages: 189-194  |  194 Views  100 Downloads

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