Lemma minor

High feed costs and poor water quality hinder sustainable Oreochromis niloticus production, requiring affordable natural alternatives. This study evaluated the influence of Lemna minor on water quality and the reproductive performance of O. niloticus broodstock. A 12-week experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design comprising four treatments: T₀ (control commercial feed only), T₁ (½ of Commercial feed + L. minor coverage), T₂ (same quantity of T0 feed + L. minor coverage), and T₃ (L. minor only). Water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen; T0; 1.111, T1;1.251, T2;1.493, T3;3.825, pH; T0; 6.053, T1;6.128, T2; 6.102, T3;6.328, and total ammonia nitrogen; T0; 0.4356, T1;0.3267, T2; 0.3111, T3; 0.0344) and reproductive indices (number of fry and larval survival rate) were monitored throughout the study. It was revealed that treatments containing Lemna minor significantly improved water quality, with higher dissolved oxygen and lower total ammonia nitrogen compared to the control. However, excessive coverage of L. minor slightly reduced fry output, with the highest number of fry (43.33) in T₀ and the lowest (23.33) in T₂. Fry survival showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) among treatments. The study suggests that the integration of Lemna minor in O. niloticus broodstock system enhance water quality and reduce dependence on costly commercial feed without compromising Reproductive efficiency.