Utilization of fly larvae, earthworms and duckweed as feeds for frogs in an integrated farming system
 

Latsamy Phounvisouk and T R Preston^*

Living Aquatic Resources Research Center (LARReC)
NongThang Villged, Vientiane, Laos
Meetouna@yahoo.com
^* TOSOLY, UTA-Colombia, AA#48, Socorro, Santander, Colombia

Frogs, purchased as 20 day-old fingerlings, were raised in ponds and, after a period of adaptation, were submitted to 4 treatments arranged as a 2*2 factorial with 3 replications using a completely randomized design. The factors were: addition or not of duckweed to the feed; and earthworms or fly larvae as the main diet. At the start of the trial the frogs weighed on average 19 g and were fed the experimental diets for 90 days.

Growth rates and feed conversion (for DM and crude protein) were better, and mortality was lower, when frogs were fed earthworms rather than larvae and when they had access to fresh duckweed mixed with the larvae/earthworms. The net increase in live weight (252 g in 90 days) on the best diet (earthworms plus duckweed) was better than in one report concerning frogs fed an artificial diet (200 g in 120 days).

Comparisons with another aquatic species (catfish) indicated broadly similar results for growth rate and feed conversion.

Key words: duckweed, earthworms, fly larvae, feed conversion, frogs, growth