Vol. 12, Issue 7 (2023)

Author(s):
Shivanshu Nigam, SK Sharma, BK Sharma, ML Ojha, SS Sharma and B Upadhyay

Abstract:
The impact of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) mixed feed on the growth performance of fingerlings of Cyprinus carpio var. communis (Linnaeus, 1758) was evaluated. The experiment was carried out for 60 days. Experimental diets were formulated by adding pearl millet flour substituting an equivale proportion of rice bran in control diet at five different levels I.e., T₁ (06%), T₂ (12%), T₃ (18%), T₄ (24%), and T₅ (30%). T_0, (control) i.e., without adding pearl millet. The fish were fed at a rate of 3% of their body weight once in a day. The pearl millet mixed feed has not shown any detrimental effects on the fish survival, growth and water quality parameters. The range of water quality parameters, were: air temperature between 27.2 and 29.2 °C, water temperature between 27.0 and 28.4 °C, Electrical conductivity between 160 and 192 μS/cm-1, pH between 6.7 and 7.60. dissolved oxygen between 6.1 and 8.0 mg/l, total alkalinity between 104 and 151 mg/l, and total hardness between 420 and 664 mg/l, nitrate between 0.021 and 0.089 mg/l and orthophosphate 0.041 and 0.88 mg/l. The experimental fish Cyprinus carpio var. communis shows increased growth performance by the administration of pearl millet in mixed diet. The highest weight gain was 23.600±0.155 g noticed in T₄ at 24% inclusion of pearl millet, and the lowest was 21.428±0.029 g in T₀ (control). Without pearl millet the highest percent weight gain was noticed in T₄ (54.895±0.341%)_, and the lowest was 51.388±0.234% in T₀ (control). The lowest FCR was 2.697±0.014 in T_4, and the highest was 2.863±0.008 in T₀ (control). The highest SGR was found to be 0.985±0.003% in T_4, and the lowest was 0.917±0.002% in T₀ (control). The highest GCE was observed at (0.362±0.003) in T₂ and the lowest (0.349±0.001) in T₀ (control).