COMPARATIVE GROWTH AND SURVIVAL RATE OF THE AFRICAN CATFISH (Clarias gariepinus) LARVAE REARED IN WATER SOURCED FROM STREAM AND TAP WATER

A.M. Idi-Ogede

Department of Biology

College of Education, Zuba-Abuja

ABSTRACT

A four-week comparative study was carried out to compare the growth and survival rates of Clarias gariepinus reared in stream and tap water. Twenty liters of water from each of the sourced water were measured into six glass aquarium tanks (56cm by 30cm) and each treatment replicated three times. One hundred six-day old larvae of Clarias gariepinus were stocked into each of the aquarium tanks. The larvae were fed with Zooplankton. At the end of the 30-day culture period, the growth and survival rates were higher in stream water than in tap water. There  were significant difference (p<0.05) between the means of water quality parameters, survival rates, mortality rates, weight and total length of Clarias gariepinus reared in the two water (stream and tap water). Based on these, recommendation was made to consider water parameters in rearing fish.

Key words: Clarias gariepinus, stream water, tap water, survival and mortality rates.