Growth and organoleptic qualities of grass carp fed experimental diets

The growth of two different sizes of grass carp were studied in laboratory feeding experiments. Experimental diets included trout chow, bermuda grass pellets, and sudan grass; fish were fed at three feeding rates, 2.5, 5, and 10% of body weight. The fish that were fed trout chow showed excellent growth of small and large fish at 2.5, 5, and 10%. Bermuda grass produced good growth only in large fish at the 2.5% level and better growth at 5%. Small fish lost weight when fed bermuda grass at the 5 and 10% rates. This was probably due to the smaller fish being unable to consume the large pellets. The fish fed sudan grass at 2.5% body weight also lost weight during the six-week feeding trial.

Organoleptic comparisons indicated that there was a significant difference in the taste preference of grass carp fed bermuda grass and trout chow. The panelists preferred fish fed bermuda grass more than those fed trout chow. There was no significant difference in the taste preference among grass carp fed bermuda grass, trout chow, and sudan grass when compared to channel catfish.