ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF ADDING FERMENTED MATURE COCONUT WATER AS AN ADDITIONAL NUTRIENT SOURCE IN COMMERCIAL FEED ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF CATFISH (Clarias sp.)

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the effect of supplementing commercial feed with fermented mature coconut water as an additional nutrient source on the growth performance of African catfish (Clarias sp.). The experiment was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four treatments: P1 (control), P2 (5%), P3 (10%), and P4 (15%) fermented mature coconut water, equivalent to the addition of 50, 100, and 150 mL per 100 g of commercial feed, respectively. Each treatment was conducted in triplicate using 10 fish per container, with an initial average weight of 17–20 g and an average total length of 8–10 cm, for a culture period of 45 days. The observed parameters included absolute weight gain, absolute length gain, specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed utilization efficiency (EPP), and survival rate (SR). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at a 5% significance level. The results showed that supplementation with fermented mature coconut water significantly affected (P<0.05) absolute weight gain, SGR, FCR, and feed utilization efficiency, but had no significant (P>0,05) effect on absolute length gain or survival rate. The best performance was obtained in treatment P3 (10%), which resulted in an absolute weight gain of 18.66 g, an absolute length gain of 4.11 cm, an SGR of 3.60% day⁻¹, an FCR of 1.12, a feed utilization efficiency of 83.68%, and a survival rate of 93.33%. It can be concluded that supplementation with 10% fermented mature coconut water is the most effective dose for improving the growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of African catfish.