Spirulina (Arthrospira fusiformis, Gomont 1892) as a High-Quality Feed Ingredient for Nile Tilapia Fingerlings

Abstract

A partially randomized experimental design was conducted to evaluate the effect and potential of spirulina species (Arthrospira fusiformis) isolated from Momela Lakes, Tanzania, on the growth, antioxidant capacity, feed utilization, and body composition of Nile tilapia fingerlings. Five dietary treatments were formulated, including spirulina meal at 5%, 10%, and 15% of the total diets, as well as control diets with freshwater shrimp or Lake Victoria sardine. The protein content of the experimental diets was 25, 28, and 35% for a treatment containing spirulina at 5, 10, and 15% inclusion, respectively, while the control diets had 35% crude protein each. After eight weeks of feeding, fish fed with a lower inclusion level of spirulina showed the best growth performance and feed utilization efficiency, similar to the fish fed with control diets. The group fed with 5% spirulina exhibited excellent protein efficiency ratio compared to all other fish groups. All spirulina-fed fish groups demonstrated higher protein deposition and strong antioxidant activity against free radicals compared to those fed with control diets. In conclusion, spirulina proves to be a superior feed ingredient for high-quality Nile tilapia farming, providing comparable results to control feeds.