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¹ University of Rajshahi, Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh DOI : 10.4194/AQUAST2699 Viewed : 175 - Downloaded : 78 As aquaculture based on commercial feed continues to grow substantially in Bangladesh, the study evaluated five widely used commercial fish feeds—Lili, One, Quality, Nabil, and ACI by analyzing their nutrient and heavy metal (Pb, Co, Cr, Cd, Ni) contents, and their impacts on the growth rate and muscle composition of four carp species: Catla catla, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus cirrhosus. Proximate parameters and heavy metal contents of the feeds were analyzed using standard methods. A 90-day cage-based feeding trial was conducted to assess the growth and nutrient utilization of the fish, measuring mean weight gain (MWG), specific growth rate (SGR), survival rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and carcass nutrient composition. Although all the feeds exceeded allowable heavy metal concentrations, the ACI feed had lower heavy metal concentrations and higher protein content (23.63±0.32). Fish fed with ACI feed exhibited better MWG (288.44±4.81), SGR (0.82±0.01), and FCR (2.25±0.08), whereas fish fed with Nabil feed performed the poorest results. No significant difference was found in carcass nutrients among the fish, but those fed ACI feed exhibited relatively higher protein content. The study identified ACI feed as a superior commercial feed that enhances carp growth in the northwestern part of Bangladesh. Keywords : Aquaculture Feed nutrient Growth Heavy metal Carcass composition