USE OF DIFFERENT PROTEIN MEALS AS PARTIAL OR TOTAL SUBSTITUTION FOR FISH-MEAL IN CARP DIETS

The use of defatted soybean meal (SBM) in combination with com gluten meal (CGM) and meat meal (MM) as a partial or complete replacement for fish meal was studied in carp. Fish meal in the control diet with 37% protein was substituted by the combination of those protein meals at levels of 56, 78, 89, and 100%. The effect of supplementation of crystalline amino acids to the 100% fish meal replaced diet was also examined. Duplicate tanks of fish (4 or 6 g on average) were fed to satiation at 21+/-1 or 24+/-1-degrees-C for 9 or 5 weeks. Fish fed the control diet showed the best growth rate, feed efficiency and PER. Replacement of fish meal up to 56% with SBM and CGM gave good weight gain and feed efficiency comparable to the control, but the higher inclusion of SBM, CGM, and MM reduced growth and feed utilization. Supplementation of Lys, Met, and Thr to the 100% fish meal replaced diet markedly improved growth and feed efficiency up to about 90% of the control group. Supplementation of the EAA mixture at levels comparable to those in the fish meal control diet and twice that amount resulted in growth rates of about 87 and 94% of the control group, respectively.