The digestibility of improved sugar cane bagasse on Barbonymus schwanenfeldii

The evaluation of fish capacity to digest an alternative ingredient is a critical aspect. The highly digestible ingredients will improve fish growth performance and reducing the production of wastes. This experiment was conducted to determine the digestibility of improved sugar cane bagasse as an ingredient on Barbonymus schwanenfeldii diet. The nutrient contents of improved sugar cane bagasse were crude protein, lipid, ash, crude fiber, carbohydrates (by difference) of 22.27%, 0.68%, 8.03%, 12.75%, and 55.23% (in dry weight), respectively. To measure the digestibility of improved sugar cane bagasse, a test diet in which 30% by weight of the reference diet was replaced with improved sugar cane bagasse. Chromic oxide was used as a marker and added 0.6% to both reference and test diets. Fifteen fishes with an average weight of 10.00±0.53 g were held in 110L aquaria and fed three times daily at satiation level. The digestibility of improved sugar cane bagasse on B. schwanenfeldii was 66.08%, protein 84.35%, lipid 95.26%, and energy 70.49%. The result showed that the nutritive value of improved sugar cane bagasse in this present study was fairly digestible by B. schwanenfeldii and it could be an ingredient in its diet.