Floating and Growth-Promoting Potential of Melon Peel-Based Diets for Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Fingerlings at Varying Inclusion Levels

Background and Objective: Farmers rely on costly extruded feeds to ensure prolonged floatation and nutrient stability in water. Effective binding agents are needed to enhance buoyancy and sustain feed availability for fish. Melon seed peels may serve as a natural alternative to improve floating capacity. This study evaluates the effect of Melon seed peel-based diets on feed buoyancy and the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings to develop cost-effective floating fish feed. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty catfish fingerlings of initial mean weight and length at 3.07+0.10 g and 6.01+1.03 cm were purchased, acclimated, and distributed randomly to the treatments. The research was designed using a Complete Randomized Design (CRD). The diets were formulated using Pearson’s square methods. The ingredients used were yellow maize, soya bean, fish meal, fish premix, palm oil, salt, and Melon seed peel as the floating agent at 25, 50, 75, and multi-feed 0% as control diets of melon peels respectively. Experimental data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA in SPSS (version 20), and treatment mean differences (p<0.05) were separated by Duncan’s multiple range test. Results: The result showed that diets formulated at 50 and 75% inclusions of Melon seed peels gave the highest floatation at 16.67 min for 40 min and 16.67 min for 60 min. While the 25% inclusion of Melon seed peels diet had the best growth performance at mean weight gain, specific growth rate, and food conversion ratio (5.26±1.26, 0.57±0.11%, and 1.07±0.11 g), respectively. Conclusion: The highest values among the growth and floatation parameters measured, showed the peel had an increasing positive effect on the growth performance while floatation increased as the inclusion level of the melon peels increased in the diets. Therefore, 25-50% inclusion level is recommended for fish farmers.