ABSTRACT

 This study assessed the rate of disintegration of fish feed, protein leaching and water stability of pelleted fish feed. Three diets with different crude protein percentages (29.04% CP, 41 .84% CP and 45.24% CP) were formulated using 2% fresh weight of cassava flour as binder. 1 .00g of 8% moisture content pelleted fish feed was measured using a sensitive scale (ACCU LAB 333) from each sample and immersed in 200m1 of distilled water for 3 minutes, 5 minutes and 8 minutes. The weight of water absorbed was recorded for each  at respective time. It was found that pelleted fish feed of 29.04%CP at 5 minutes has highest final weight of 3.51g while feed of 45.24%CP at 3 minutes has lowest final weight of 1.24g. The result analyzed with A.O.A.C. (1990) method also shows that 29.04%CP pelleted feed has the highest crude protein loss of 9.91%CP at 8 minutes and 45.24%CP of pelleted feed has lowest nutrient loss of 0.28%CP at 3 minutes. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) and LSD (Least Significant Difference). There is a (P Ii: 0.05) between water stability of' 29.04%CP pelleted fish feed and 45,24%CP pelleted fish feed and analysis shows significant differences (P 0.05) between nutrient loss of 29.04%CP and 45.24%CP pelleted fish feed while there is no significant difference (P 0.05) between 29.04%CP pelleted fish feed and 41.84%CP pelleted fish feed nor 41.84%CP pelleted fish feed and 45.24%CP on water stability and nutrient loss at 3 minutes, 5 minutes and 8 minutes respectively.