Effect of betaine hydrochloride as feed additive on growth performance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Abstract

The current experiment was conducted in the Fish Laboratory belonging to Aquaculture Unit - College of Agriculture. It included the study of the effect of betaine (peptine hydrochloride BeHCl) on the growth performance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). Five fish were used in three replicates for each treatment in the experiment with an average weight of 18.49 ± 1.08 g after acclimation for seven days. Fishes were fed on diets of C (0% additive), T1 (0.20% BeHCl) and T2 (0.25% BeHCl). The experiment lasted for 42 days and all fish were weighed in each replicate every two weeks in order to estimate daily feed. The results showed that the highest final weight (30.06 g) and weight gain (10.80 g) were achieved by fish fed on a diet containing 0.20% BeHCl, followed by the diet containing 0.25% BeHCl, while the lowest weight gain (7.46 g) was achieved in the control diet with a significant difference (P≤0.05) among all treatments, as the fish fed a diet containing 0.20% BeHCl outperformed the rest. Also fish fed 0.20% BeHCl was superior in the daily, relative and specific growth rate, as it reached 1.29 g/day, 56.10 % and 1.06 %/day respectively. The results indicated that the best feed conversion rate was 3.23 for fish fed on a diet containing 0.20% BeHCl, while the other treatments showed conversion rates of 3.66 and 4.35 for 0.25% treatment and control respectively, as well as the highest protein efficiency recorded in fish fed on diet containing 0.20% BeHCl amounted to 0.93, followed by the diet containing 0.25% BeHCl (0.82). Statistical analysis of the results proved that the above differences between the treatments were all significant (P≤0.05)