Wheat Bran Grown Brewers Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisioe) as Feed for Clarias gariepinus Fingerlings: Carcass Analysis and Growth Performance

Abstract

A trial feed was prepared by inoculating and growing brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in wheat bran.  The biomass so produced was dried and used to replace fish meal in the diet of Clarias gariepinus at varying levels (0%, 15%, 30%, 45% and 60%) respectively.  The analysis of the fish carcass revealed that the diet D₅ with 60% substitution of fishmeal with brewer’s yeast had the highest protein (50.91) followed by D₁ (fishmeal only) 45.51.  In growth performance, the fishmeal diet gave better results in Mean Weight Gain (MWG) – 1.27; and Percentage Weight Gain (PWG) – 27.79.  However, the 60% substituted diet showed superiority in Specific Growth Rate (SGR) 4.00 and Nitrogen Metabolism (Nm) – 44.73.  the results therefore are indicative of the fact that wheat bran grown , Brewers yeast can serve as fishmeal replacers at 60% substitution level without adverse effect but improvement on the fish carcass protein and growth performance.

Keywords: Brewers yeast wheat bran feeding trial, Clarias gariepinus, carcass composition, growth.