Efficacy of sodium bicarbonate (Baking soda) and clove powder (Syzygium aromaticum) as anaesthetic agents for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, linnaeus 1758) juveniles

Anaesthetics in aquaculture serve as a stress avoidance mechanism, mitigating stress-related impacts during fish handling and transportation. This study assessed the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate and clove stem powder as anaesthetic agents for Nile Tilapia juveniles. Four hundred and twenty uniform O. niloticus juveniles (5 ± 0.5 g, 74 ± 5 mm) were exposed to varying concentrations of sodium bicarbonate (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 g/L) and clove stem powder (0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 g/L) in 20 L transparent plastic tanks. The results showed an inverse relationship between anaesthetic concentration and induction time, a direct relationship with recovery time, and an inverse correlation between induction and recovery times for both agents (P