This document summarizes a study on supplementing the diet of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) with maggots. The study aims to examine the effects of feeding live maggots to catfish fingerlings on their growth rate, proximate composition, and amino acids. Maggots will be grown from poultry waste and added at different percentages to commercial fish feed. Growth performance, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio will be calculated and analyzed to determine the optimal level of maggot supplementation.

1. SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING OF MAGGOTS AS LIVE FOOD
IN THE DIET OF CLARIAS GARIEPINUS
BY
SEWUESE DESMOND
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
NOVEMBER, 2022

2. INTRODUCTION
Clarias gariepinus is a catfish belonging to the family Clariidae. It is distinguished by
its elongated body with four barbells, large dorsal and anal fins, and, most notably, the
presence of a suprabranchia organ. They are classed into planktivore (plankton feeder)
herbivores, predators, omnivores, and detritivores based on their food and style of
feeding. Feed is the single most expensive factor in aquaculture production, with
protein constituting the largest cost. Maggot meal is a waste-derived animal protein
source that has been shown to be extremely nutritious, with crude protein ranging from
43.9 to 62.4%, fat 12.5 to 21%, and crude fiber 5.8 to 8.2% (Awoniyi et al., 2013;
Fasakin et al., 2013; Ajani et al., 2014).

3. JUSTIFICATION
Competition for protein for aquaculture fish diets with human and
other livestock demands is a significant concern in the aquaculture
sector. The rising need for protein-based feed highlights the need for
innovative approaches to creating quality fish feeds for aquaculture to
be viable. In light of this, the current study will seek to explore the
addition of live maggots to the diet of Clarias gariepinus (African
catfish).

4. AIM AND OBJECTIVES
Aim of the study
The aim of the study is to examine the supplementary feeding of maggot as live
food in the diet of clarias gariepinus (African catfish) fingerlings.
Objectives of the Study
To determine the growth rate of catfish fingerlings (claria gariepinus) fed with
maggots.
To assess the proximate composition and amino acids in the catfish fingerlings.

5. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fresh poultry droppings would be acquired from the poultry farm at the
Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi and incubated as a
substrate for maggot growth. The poultry waste would be moistened
with water to avoid drying and left out for a few days so that house flies
could lay their eggs on it. For between 4 to 7 days, the container will be
covered and left to allow the maggot to fully develop before being
harvested. The modified version of the floating method will be the
primary methodology for collection of the maggots(Atteh et al., 1990).
The trials will be carried out in 10 plastic bowls at Joseph Sawuan
Taaka University's aquaculture center laboratory. Each bowl will be
filled with filtered water from the department's multipurpose fisheries
laboratory, and fingerlings of clarias gariepinus (African catfish) will be
acclimatized for one week in the laboratory.

6. MATERIALS AND METHODS
(Continuation)
After one week, the survivors would be weighed and randomly assigned to bowls
with a stocking density of 10 fingerlings per bowl. Feeding will began 48 hours after
stocking to ensure that all of the stocked fish passed through their gastro-intestinal
tract. Each diet treatment will be administered in replicates. The fish will be housed
in a natural photoperiod regime, with a water temperature of approximately
25±1.8°C. The fish will be fed their respective test food twice daily at their body
weight. The complete population of each bowl will be weighed twice a week, and
the feeding rate will be adjusted based on the average fish weight in each tank. After
the feeding trial, the fish will be fasted for 24 hours before their final body weight
will be reported.

7. SUPPLEMENTATION OF COMMERCIAL FEED WITH MAGGOTS
Supplementation of commercial feed with maggot would be obtained as
percentage of body weight as shown below;
TREATMENT Commercial feed (%) MAGGOTS (%)
1 20 0
2 17 .5 2.. 5
3 15 5
4 12 5 7.5
5 10 10

8. DATAANLYSIS
Growth performance and nutrient utilization Would be evaluated from
data on weight gain, SGR, FCR, and PER. The data obtained will be
analyzed using One-way analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test followed
by the least significant (LSD) test for comparison among treatment
mean of 5% probability (P = 0.05).

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