A SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF MAGGOTS (SQUATTS) AS LIVE FOOD FOR NILE TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS)

Abstract

The study was aimed at ensuring a sustainable production of live maggots for tilapia feeding. The study was carried out in the Department of Biotechnology- University for Development Studies, Nyankpala campus, and part at Water Research Institute, Tamale-Ghana. Three different substrates (Pito waste-PIW, Poultry waste-POW, and Animal digester or rumen liquor-AD) were used as culturing media for the maggots. Also the relishing effect of live maggots by tilapia at different growth phases was realized. Significant difference in the length, girth, quantity and weight were observed. There was significant difference in all the parameters between the substrates types with maggots cultured in animal digester showing significantly higher yield than those cultured in pito and poultry wastes. Tilapia at all phases of growth relished live maggots but the adult tilapia (100 g) showed the highest total percentage rate of uptake of live maggot at 43.06% per 6 hours. This study has shown that maggots can be quantitatively bred from waste materials like poultry, pito and abattoir wastes by careful selection of a suitable substrate, fly attractants and day of harvesting maggots among other factors. Yield of maggots was highly influenced by the type of substrate and the day of harvesting of the maggots.