Growth performance of nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed natural, artificial, and combined diets in experimental ponds

Arrichard Ryandi (Mahasiswa Program Studi Akuakultur, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Almuslim. Jln. Almuslim, Matangglumpangdua, Bireuen-Aceh, Indonesia)
Irfannur Irfannur (Program Studi Akuakultur, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Almuslim. Jln. Almuslim, Matangglumpangdua, Bireuen-Aceh, Indonesia)
Rossy Azhar (Program Studi Akuakultur, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Almuslim. Jln. Almuslim, Matangglumpangdua, Bireuen-Aceh, Indonesia)
Yusrizal Akmal (Program Studi Akuakultur, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Almuslim. Jln. Almuslim, Matangglumpangdua, Bireuen-Aceh, Indonesia)

Arwana: Jurnal Ilmiah Program Studi Perairan
Vol 7 No 2: November 2025 (In Progress)

Feed quality is an important factor affecting the growth and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in aquaculture systems. This study aimed to analyze and compare the growth and survival of Nile tilapia fed artificial feed, natural feed, and a combination of both. The experiment was conducted for 30 days at the Wet Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Almuslim, using a completely randomized design with three treatments and three replicates: P1 (pellet feed), P2 (earthworms), and P3 (a combination of pellets and earthworms). The observed parameters included absolute weight gain, absolute length gain, and survival rate. The results showed that feed type significantly affected the growth and survival parameters of Nile tilapia (p < 0.05), with P2 producing the best performance compared with P1 and P3. These findings indicate that earthworms have the potential to be used as an alternative natural feed to support the growth and survival of Nile tilapia in aquaculture systems.