Effects of feed colour on growth and nutrient utilization of Tilapia zillii and Oreochromis niloticus Fingerlings

A 75-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of colour additives, {Food Drug and Cosmetic (FC and D) colour red, blue, sea-green and yellow} added to a basal diet (350g crude protein and 18.5KJ gross energy.g diet) on growth and nutrient utilization in Tilapia zillii and Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings. The control (normal light brown commercial diet, Diet 1), redcoloured diet (Diet 2), blue-coloured diet (Diet 3), sea-green coloured diet(Diet 4) and yellowcoloured diet (Diet 5) were fed to triplicate groups of T. zillii (14.00+ 0.003g) and O. niloticus (10.220.01g) fingerlings to apparent satiation in two equal instalments (0900-0930 and 1700-1730 h) in concrete tanks (2m x 2m x 1.25m). At the end of the trial, the fish were batch-weighed. T. zillii fed yellow and sea green coloured diets had better growth performance and nutrient utilization than the other diets (P 98%) and was not affected by feed colour in both tilapias.