UPV conducted pilot tests on incorporating the lumot or Filamentous Green Algae Rhizoclonium riparium in the Diet of Nile Tilapia. They evaluated whether or not the incorporation of Rhizoclonium meal into the diet of tilapia in two farm areas increases profitability. They also refined feeding scheme pertinent to the technology.
While lumot has always been a traditional natural food for milkfish, the study has shown that it can also be processed and incorporated in formulated feeds to serve as partial replacement for soybean meal. The resulting feed formulation was tested in cages in Aklan at a density of 17 fish/m2 and in Pangasinan at 29 fish/m2. In both locations, the feeds with Rhizoclonium performed better than the control in terms of growth rate, FCR and profitability. The optimal feeding rate was 5.6% of body weight with an SGR of 1.0. The most profitable feeding was on a weekly cycle of 13% and 25% level of Rhizoclonium inclusion.