SUBSTITUTION OF LIVE FEED BY FORMUlATED DIET: EFFECT ON THE GROWTH AND SURVIVAl OF BETTA SPLENDENS (REGAN) FRY
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Authors
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Sagar C Mandal
Central Institute of Fisheries Education Versova, Mumbai-400061
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M.P. S. Kohli
Central Institute of Fisheries Education Versova, Mumbai-400061
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N. P. Sahu
Central Institute of Fisheries Education Versova, Mumbai-400061
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C. Prakash
Centra/Institute of Fisheries Education Versova,
Mumbai-400061
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N. K. Chadha
Central Institute of Fisheries Education Versova,
Mumbai-400061
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S. Munilkumar
Central Institute of Fisheries Education Versova, Mumbai-400061
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Pronob Das
Central Institute of Fisheries Education Versova,
Mumbai-400061
Abstract
The present work evaluates the effectiveness of partial or total replacement of live feed
(LF} (Tubifex) together with formulated diet (FD) for Betta splendens. Three hundred Betta
splendens fry of uniform size (mean weight 0.19±0.01g) were equally distributed in five treatment
groups with three replicates in glass aquaria of 351itre capacity. Fishes were given diets at different
ratio of LF and FD viz. T1(C}100% LF; T275% LF, 25% FD; T350% LF, 50% FD; T425% LF, 75% FD and
T5100% FD and the experiment continued for 105 days. T2 group registered highest (P<O.OS) %
body weight gain (125.61±0.26) and specific growth rate (2.34±0.02}, which was similar to T1 and
T3 groups. Lowest FCR was recorded in T2 (2.40±0.11} group, which was similar to Tl, T3 and T4
groups. Highest (P<O.OS} PER was observed in T4 {1.00±0.03} group, which was similar to T3 and TS
groups. At the end of experiment, highest % survival was recoded in T1, T2 and T3 groups
(96.67±1.67), which was similar to T4 group. From the study, it is concluded that LF can be
successfully replaced up to 75% by FD without any adverse effect on the growth and survival of
Betta splendens.
Keywords: Betta splendens, Formulated diet, Growth, Live feed replacement, Survival.
INTRODUCTION
Ornamental fishes are kept as pets in
confined space
