Suitability of Using Duckweed as Feed and Treated Sewage as Water Source in Tilapia Aquaculture

Use of treated effluent and duckweed biomass from a pilot-scale UASB-duckweed ponds system treating domestic sewage was evaluated in rearing Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Nutritional value of duckweed as sole feed was compared with wheat bran. Two sources of water were used for each feed trial, treated-sewage and freshwater. The experiment was conducted in parallel with a conventional settled sewage-fed fishpond. Results of growth performance demonstrated that, in case of freshwater ponds specific growth rate (SGR) of tilapia fed on fresh duckweed was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than the SGR in wheat bran fed pond. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed between the two feeding regimes in treated sewage fed ponds. The SGR of tilapia reared in the treated sewage-wheat bran-fed pond (TWP) was significant higher (p <0.01) than the SGR in the freshwater-wheat bran-fed pond (FWP). On the other hand, due to the early spawning in the treated sewage-duckweed fed pond (TOP) SGR of tilapia in the latter was significantly lower (p <0.05) than the SGR in the freshwater-duckweed-fed pond (FDP). The results of net fish yield were 11.8, 8.9, 9.6 and 6.4 ton/ha/y in TDP, TWP, FDP and FWP, respectively. negative net yield (-0.16 ton/ha/y) was observed in the settled sewage- fed pond (SSP) due to high mortality