For the next 8 weeks, fish in triplicate were fed their respective diets twice daily manually to visual satiation at 09:00 and 17:00, and feed consumption was recorded daily.
Fish were weighed every 4 weeks, and mortality and deformity were checked daily.
Natural light–dark cycle was used in the whole experimental period.
The culture tanks were cleaned by siphoning off accumulated waste materials and water quality parameters were monitored twice weekly. Throughout the experimental period, water temperature, dissolved O2, pH and ammonia were maintained at about 27.5 ± 1.3 °C, 7.65 ± 0.14 mg/L, 7.85 ± 0.10 and 0.16 ± 0.02 mg/L, respectively.