Substituição do milho por farinha de crueira de mandioca (manihot esculenta, crantz) em rações para juvenis de tambaqui (colossoma macropomum cuvier, 1818)

Abstract

Corn has always occupied a prominent position as an energy source in diets for aquatic organisms. However, there is growing interest in alternative energy sources for use in fish diets, with the goal of reducing the cost of food. Among the sources of energy that have potential for use in pet foods, byproducts of cassava are important. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of replacing corn flour by cassava (Manihot esculenta) meal in diets for juvenile tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). The study was conducted in two stages, following a completely randomized design with six treatments (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%), replacing maize meal by cassava meal. In the first stage, 480 juvenile tambaqui were distributed in 24 circular plastic tanks for the evaluation of physico-chemical parameters of water, weight gain, feed conversion, body composition, production cost per kilogram of body weight gain and haematological parameters. In the second stage, 336 juvenile tambaqui were distributed in 24 conical tanks for the determination of nutrient digestibility of the experimental diets. There were no significant differences between treatments in terms of physico-chemical parameters of water, weight gain, feed conversion, body composition and hematological parameters of fish. The replacement of corn flour with cassava meal also reduced the cost per kilogram of tambaqui. It is concluded that corn flour can be completely replaced by cassava meal in the diets for juvenile tambaqui, without affecting growth rate