EFFECT OF FEEDING NILE TILAPIA FINGERLINGS TWO ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (LYSINE AND ARGININE) SUPPLEMENTED WITH (FISH OIL AND SUNFLOWER OIL) ON: 1- GROWTH PERFORMANCE, FEED UTILIZATION, BODY COMPOSITION AND BLOOD PARAMETERS

Abstract

The current study aims to study the effect of supplementing commercial diets used to feed fish with some amino acids (lysine or arginine), by mixing each of them with fish oil or sunflower oil, and its effect on growth performance, feed utilization efficiency, body composition, and blood chemistry characteristics. Where 5 diets were made, the experimental diets were fed to five groups of fish (each group represents by 3 tanks) as follows: (T1) is the control group, which was fed as the basal diet (contains 38% crude protein and 4100 kcal/Kg feed without any additives, the second group (T2) was fed the basal diet, which was supplemented with the addition of 21 g lysine and 15 g fish oil/kg of diet, and the third group (T3) was fed the basal diet mixed with 21 g lysine plus 15 g sunflowers/ kg feed. The fourth diet (T4) was fed the basal diet mixed with 29.4 g arginine and 15 g fish oil/ kg feed. The fifth group (T5) was fed the basal diet mixed with 29.4 g arginine + 15 g sunflower oil/ kg feed. The fish were fed the experimental diet for 128 days. The results of this study showed significant increase (P < 0.05) in growth performance (BWG), relative growth rate (SGR), and feed utilization efficiency (FCR, PER, PPV) between the different treatments and the control group. The results of the third treatment (T3), which was supplemented with 21 g lysine + 15 g sunflower oil/kg feed, were significantly superior (P<0.05) in growth rate (BWG, SGR) and best feed conversion efficiency (FCR, PER, PPV) compared to the other groups. Blood analysis results for fish fed the third diet showed a decrease in the levels of aspartate transferase and alanine aminotransferase. The results of the current experiment indicated that adding 21 g lysine + 15 g Sun flower oil is an appropriate amount that improves the performance of Nile tilapia fingerlings.