Organic Milkfish (Chanos chanos) Production fed with Formulated Azolla Aquafeed

This study evaluated the growth performance, survival, feed efficiency, and economic viability of milkfish (Chanos chanos) juveniles fed with Azolla-based aquafeeds over a 12-week culture period. Four dietary treatments were tested: a commercial feed control (T1) and three experimental diets incorporating varying proportions of Azolla and rice bran (T2–T4). Results showed that Treatment 3 (57.5% Azolla, 42.5% rice bran) achieved growth and survival rates comparable to the control, while significantly outperforming it in feed conversion ratio (2.9773) and return on investment (28.46%). In contrast, the control group showed a negative ROI (–5.91%) despite good growth, highlighting its limited cost-efficiency. These findings underscore the potential of Azolla-based formulations to reduce feed costs without compromising biological performance, offering a sustainable and economically viable alternative for milkfish aquaculture, particularly in high-production regions such as Region I, Philippines.