Comparison of Food Conversion by Pirapatinga Piaractus brachypomus under Different Feeding Times

Diurnal, nocturnal, and 24-h feeding trials were conducted on two sizes (282 and 386 g) of intensively cultured pirapatingas Piaractus brachypomus reared in 0.8 m3 tanks (27 ± 0.5°C) at stocking densities of 31–34 kg/m3. In both experimental trials, growth achieved by fish fed at night exceeded that of fish fed during the day by a substantial margin (49.0 and 52.6%; variability between replicates, <0.65%), resulting in excellent food conversion rates (weight of food fed!fish weight gained) for commercial-size fish of 1.05 and 1.17. Nighttime feeding could reduce the amplitude of daily pollution peaks in fish farm effluents, as well as improving production figures for pirapatinga.