Partial and total substitution of soy oil for tilapia oil in rations for larvae of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

The present experimentwas undertaken out to evaluate the performance and the survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the sexual reversion phase. The fish were fed with rations with different levels of tilapia oil in substitution of the soy oil. 375 larvae, with average weight of 0.012 ± 0.002g and lenght of 0.931±0.144cm, respectively were used. Fish were distributed in 25 aquariuns with 15 larvae in an entirely randomly design with 5 treatments and 5 repetitions. The rations contained levels of 0.0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0% of tilapia oil inclusion. Rations with 3.800 Kcal/kg of digestible energy and 38.6% of digestible protein were used. Differences for the final weight, final length, survival and condition factor were not observed. The tilapia oil can totaly substitute the soy oil in Nile tilapia larvae diets during sexual reversion.