Evaluation of Pell-Gel-Dry® as a Feed Binder and Growth Promoter Agent for the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Aqua-feed binders are one of the most important agents in commercial fish feeds. They help to bind all the ingredients together, which leads to better digestion and absorption of nutrients by fish. The present study was conducted over 90 days (as an in vivo experiment) to evaluate the dietary addition of Pell-Gel-Dry^® as a growth promoter for the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. In two separate experiments, fish were fed two different diets (floating and sinking); each diet was bounded by the graded levels (0, 200, 300, and 400g/ ton of Pell-Gel-Dry^®). Thus, a total of 2000 O. niloticus fingerlings were randomly distributed into four treatments in each diet and fed daily at a rate of 4% of their live body weight. Before the beginning of the in vivo experiment, the in vitro experiment was conducted to determine the water stability percentage nb for the above-tested diets. The obtained results showed that fish fed the floating and sinking diets bounded with the graded levels of Pell-Gel-Dry^® revealed the highest growth performance, feed utilization, chemical composition of the fish body and muscles, economic efficiency parameters, and water stability than those fed the control diet, especially at levels of 400 and 300g/ ton of Pell-Gel-Dry^®, respectively. Thus, it could be concluded that the useful use of Pell-Gel-Dry^® at these levels demonstrated a promising growth promoter and feed binder agent for O. niloticus with predictable sustainability and economic properties for fish farmers.