Potential of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia Illucens) as a Commercial Feed Substitute for Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)

Maggot (Hermetia illucens) is a potential alternative feed source for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) due to its nutritional value and potential to replace commercial feed. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of maggot Hermetia illucens as a substitute for commercial feed on the growth and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The experiment was conducted for 28 days using three dietary treatments: P0, consisting of 100% maggot; P1, consisting of 50% maggot and 50% commercial feed; and P2, consisting of 100% commercial feed. The observed parameters included weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), absolute length growth, and survival rate (SR). The results showed that, descriptively, P0 produced the highest weight gain and SGR, with values of 2.47 ± 1.01 g and 1.55 ± 0.78%/day, respectively, compared with P1 (1.13 ± 0.35 g and 1.03 ± 0.20%/day) and P2 (1.40 ± 0.87 g and 1.30 ± 0.84%/day). Absolute length growth in P0 and P2 was 0.73 ± 0.47 cm and 0.73 ± 0.21 cm, respectively, while P1 showed 0.43 ± 0.21 cm. The highest survival rate was observed in P1 (82.22 ± 13.33%), followed by P2 (80.00 ± 6.67%) and P0 (73.33 ± 11.55%). Analysis of variance showed that dietary treatments had no significant effect on the absolute length growth of Nile tilapia (p>0.05). Descriptively, maggot showed potential as an alternative feed for Nile tilapia culture.