et al., N. (2025). Impact of Fermented Azolla on the Monosex Nile Tilapia Fingerlings' Growth Performance and Feed Utilization. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 29(4), 2145-2167. doi: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.445717
Noaman et al.. "Impact of Fermented Azolla on the Monosex Nile Tilapia Fingerlings' Growth Performance and Feed Utilization". Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 29, 4, 2025, 2145-2167. doi: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.445717
et al., N. (2025). 'Impact of Fermented Azolla on the Monosex Nile Tilapia Fingerlings' Growth Performance and Feed Utilization', Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 29(4), pp. 2145-2167. doi: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.445717
et al., N. Impact of Fermented Azolla on the Monosex Nile Tilapia Fingerlings' Growth Performance and Feed Utilization. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 2025; 29(4): 2145-2167. doi: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.445717
Impact of Fermented Azolla on the Monosex Nile Tilapia Fingerlings' Growth Performance and Feed Utilization
Two strains of Lactobacillus were used for azolla fermentation in the monosex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to determine the optimal conditions for rearing systems in terms of feed replacement ratio. Researchers investigated the impact on growth performance, feed utilization, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant response, and body composition. The fish had an average initial weight of 15.60 ± 0.12 g. A 90-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the benefits of solid-state fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SFAM), Bacillus subtilis (BFAM), or a combination of both (SFAM + BFAM), incorporating fermented azolla as a feed ingredient. Seven isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets (each containing 30% crude protein) were formulated: T1 (control, without azolla), T2 (BFAM-10%), T3 (BFAM-25%), T4 (SFAM-10%), T5 (SFAM-25%), T6 (Mix SFAM + BFAM-10%), and T7 (Mix SFAM + BFAM-25%). Fish were fed twice daily. The results showed that the T3 diet (BFAM-25%) led to the most significant improvements in growth performance, feed intake, and economic efficiency compared to all other treatments. These findings suggest that, under the given experimental conditions, fermented azolla—specifically BFAM at 25% inclusion—can effectively replace up to 25% of soybean meal protein in the diets of the monosex Nile tilapia fingerlings, without compromising performance or profitability.