The Effect of Some Food Additives on Growth Parameters of Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella Fingerlings

A laboratory experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of Thepax and Endo Vit. C as feed additives in the formulated diet on the growth performance of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. The feed (30.11% crude protein) manufactured in the laboratory using raw local materials diet. Young grass carp (Average weight 3.36± 0.95 g) obtained from Aquaculture Unit ponds in Al-Hartha Station for Agricultural Researches, North Basrah. The fish were stocked in nine glass aquarium, three replicates for each treatment, of dimensions 60×40×30 cm provided with pumping aeration. The experimental diets included a control T1 (0% additives), T2 (1g Thepax/kg diet) and T3 (1g Endo Vit. C /kg diet) were used in feeding trail of current experiment. The experiment lasted for 57 days (from 29 Nov. to 24 Jan.) and fishes were fed six days a week using 5% of fish weight as feeding ratio. Results of current study reveals that grass carp fed on formulated feed supplemented with Endo vit. C having high growth performance (WG, DGR, RGR and SGR). The lowest Feed conversion ratio (2.511) was recorded in T3 this value was statistically significant (P≤0.05) with T2 while the highest value (2.767) was observed on the control. Protein efficiency ratio, feed intake and gross conversion efficiency were also recorded high values in T3, but control displayed superior values compared with Thepax treatment, which showed higher value of Relative feed intake compared to other two treatments.