Abstract
The main objective of this study was to evaluate alternate vegetable proteins as a replacement for fish meal in diets of Labeo rohita and Ctenopharyngodon idella and use the findings to formulate a cost effective diet for freshwater fish species. Fish of an average weight of (L. rohita 1.91 +/- 0.05; C. idella 19.57 +/- 0.09 g) was stocked in four earthen fish ponds. The feed was prepared from five different plant sources (35 % crude protein). The diet was fed at the rate of 0.15 g nitrogen per 100 g of wet fish weight daily for one year. Fish were fed two times per day by dusting method and control pond remained without any additives. L. rohita, and C. idella performed in a curvilinear manner at different water temperatures. The growth performance in C. idella was comparatively better with the feed supplementation compared to L. rohita. In L. rohita and C. idella weight gain at the completion of the study, expressed as a percentage of the weight over control, pond computed as 375.69 and 356.63 percent, respectively with the effect of feed. It has been concluded that fish meal can be successfully completely replaced in the diets for these fish species without any adverse effects on fish growth performance.