ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate the effect of DL-carnitine levels on the growth and whole body and muscle composition of Nile tilapia fingerlings. A basal plant-based diet was supplemented with 0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, 3000 and 4000 mg kg&#8722;1 of DL-carnitine hydrochloride in a completely randomized design (n = 3). Fish (initial weight 0.8 ± 0.01 g) was hand-feed daily into three meals until apparent satiety for 70 days. The growth parameters were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dietary DL-carnitine levels. Muscle lipid decreased (P < 0.05) in fish fed with diets supplemented with 3000 and 4000 mg kg&#8722;1 of DL-carnitine, but there was no effect (P > 0.05) on whole body lipid. These results with DL-carnitine is similar to other studies using pure L-carnitine. Thus, the use of DL-carnitine as a source of levocarnitine in Nile tilapia diets require future studies.