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Influence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance and Body Indices of Goldfish (Carrassius auratus)

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A total of forty goldfish (Carrassius auratus) with an average weight of 20 g per fish were stocked in individual glass aquaria having 50-L water holding capacity. There were 4 experimental feeding regimens A, B, C, and D having once twice, thrice and four times per day, respectively. All the groups received Nova Aquarium Fish Food @ 2% bodyweight which was equally spaced in treatment groups. The body weight, body and caudal lengths, and girth were recorded at the start of the experiment. The trial continued for 8 weeks. Group B yielded the maximum weight gain whereas group D yielded lowest weight (P<0.05). Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was better in Feed A and depreciated with increasing frequency (P<0.05). Caudal fin showed significant correlation with weight (+ 0.548; P<0.001) and length (- 0.792; P<0.0001). A positive correlation of dissolved oxygen (DO; P<0.001) and salinity (P<0.0001) showed with temperature. Salinity showed positive significant correlation with temperature (P<0.05). Consequently, feeding frequency twice per day is better for maximum body weight gain however better feed efficiency can be obtained at feed frequency once per day. However goldfish require genetic improvement for its rearing at commercial scale.
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Open Access
Volume 6 • Issue 5 • 1000336
J Aquac Res Development
ISSN: 2155-9546 JARD, an open access journal
Research Article Open Access
Hafeez-ur-Rehman, et al., J Aquac Res Development 2015, 6:5
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-9546.1000336
Research Article Open Access
Aquaculture
Research & Development
ISSN: 2155-9546
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Keywords: Feeding frequency; Growth performance; Body
measurements; Goldsh
Introduction
Ornamental sh culture is an important primary industry [1].
Ornamental shes are oen referred as alive jewels due to their beautiful
colors, their body shape and natural behavior. ey are very gentle,
generally tiny, charming colors and could be easily accommodated
in conned spaces. Modern ornamental sh culture and breeding
operations have been intensied both vertically and horizontally,
necessitating a continuous supply of nutritionally balanced, cost-
eective feed [2].
e goldsh (Carrassius auratus) belongs to the family Cyprinidae
and is the most popular variety of ornamental sh. It was one of the
earliest sh to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept
aquarium sh [3,4]. Like other shes its growth and reproduction is
inuenced by numerous factors. Feed quality, quantity, composition
and ingredient size, and feeding frequency are among the most
important [5-7]. ough frequent feeding improves sh growth [8,9]
increasing feeding frequency beyond a particular level may lead to
feed wastage and increase production costs [10]. Identication of the
optimal feeding frequency helps to reduce feed wastage and maximize
growth and reproduction.
Many authors studied the eect of feeding frequency on feed
intake and growth in edible shes [10-13]. Wang et al. [14] found that
increased feeding frequency decreased inter-individual size variation
among treatments. However, Zhou et al. [15] did not observe any eect
of varying feeding frequency in juvenile gibel carp, Carrassius auratus
gibelio, did some work on the inuence of nutrition on growth and
reproduction of ornamental shes [16-18] but little attention has been
paid to the impact of feeding frequency on growth and reproductive
performance in ornamental shes. erefore, the present study was
conducted to determine the eect of varying feeding frequency on
growth and various body indices of goldsh, Carraius auratus.
Materials and Methods
e experiment was conducted at the Department of Fisheries
and Aquaculture, University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences, Ravi
Campus, Pattoki.
Management and feeding
A total of 40 Goldsh (Carassius auratus) was procured from
Poonch Market, Choburgi Lahore-Pakistan weighs on average 20 g
each. All the 40 individuals were divided equally into 20 tanks, with ve
replicates having 2 sh per replicate. Each tank has 10-L water holding
capacity. ere were 4 dietary groups, A, B, C and D. Group A served
as a control and was fed once a day. Group B, C and D were fed twice,
thrice and four times a day respectively. Time of feeding to dierent
groups is followed as; Group A was oered feed at 0800, Group B was
oered feed at 0800 and 1200, Group C was oered at 0800, 1200 and
1600, and Group D was oered feed at 0800, 1200, 1600 and 2000.
A standard commercially available Nova Aquarium Fish Food was
oered @ 2% bodyweight (g/g) split in equal parts as per requirement
of each replicate. e amount of feed oered to the sh was close to the
maximum daily ration consumed as per the local recommendations.
e feeding trial lasted for 8 weeks. Faecal matter and unconsumed
feed, if any, were siphoned before feeding. e unconsumed feed was
ltered over a screen soon aer the active feeding, dried and weighed to
*Corresponding author: Khalid Javed Iqbal, Department of Life Sciences,
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Tel: 923326-022624; E-mail:
khalidjavediqbal@gmail.com
Received February 06, 2015; Accepted March 17, 2015; Published April 30, 2015
Citation: Hafeez-ur-Rehman M, Iqbal KJ, Abbas F, Mushtaq MMH, Rasool F,
et al. (2015) Inuence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance and Body
Indices of Goldsh (Carrassius auratus). J Aquac Res Development 6: 336.
doi:10.4172/2155-9546.1000336
Copyright: © 2015 Hafeez-ur-Rehman M, et al. This is an open-access article
distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided
the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
A total of forty goldsh (Carrassius auratus) with an average weight of 20 g per sh were stocked in individual
glass aquaria having 50-L water holding capacity. There were 4 experimental feeding regimens A, B, C, and D
having once twice, thrice and four times per day, respectively. All the groups received Nova Aquarium Fish Food
@ 2% bodyweight which was equally spaced in treatment groups. The body weight, body and caudal lengths, and
girth were recorded at the start of the experiment. The trial continued for 8 weeks. Group B yielded the maximum
weight gain whereas group D yielded lowest weight (P<0.05). Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was better in Feed
A and depreciated with increasing frequency (P<0.05). Caudal n showed signicant correlation with weight (+
0.548; P<0.001) and length (- 0.792; P<0.0001). A positive correlation of dissolved oxygen (DO; P<0.001) and
salinity (P<0.0001) showed with temperature. Salinity showed positive signicant correlation with temperature
(P<0.05). Consequently, feeding frequency twice per day is better for maximum body weight gain however better
feed efciency can be obtained at feed frequency once per day. However goldsh require genetic improvement for
its rearing at commercial scale.
Influence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance and Body Indices
of Goldfish
(Carrassius auratus)
Muhammad Hafeez-ur-Rehman1, Khalid Javed Iqbal2*, Farzana Abbas1, Mirza Muhammad Haroon Mushtaq3, Fayyaz Rasool1 and Shakeela
Parveen1
1Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences, Lahore-Pakistan
2Department of Life Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
3AgroVisions, Faisalabad, 38800, Pakistan
Citation: Hafeez-ur-Rehman M, Iqbal KJ, Abbas F, Mushtaq MMH, Rasool F, et al. (2015) Inuence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance
and Body Indices of Goldsh (Carrassius auratus). J Aquac Res Development 6: 336. doi:10.4172/2155-9546.1000336
Page 2 of 4
Volume 6 • Issue 5 • 1000336
J Aquac Res Development
ISSN: 2155-9546 JARD, an open access journal
measure the amount of feed consumed. Proximate composition of this
feed has been given in Tabl e 1.
Water analyses
Water parameters were closely monitored and were kept within
safe limits by regular ow management. e water parameters were
evaluated in terms of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and
salinity. Water was analyzed for its pH by pH metre (LT-Lutron pH-207
Taiwan), dissolved oxygen (DO) by DO metre (YSI 55 Incorporated,
Yellow Springs, Ohio, 4387, USA). Moreover, temperature was
recorded by the Combo meter (H M Digital, Inc. CA 90230). ese
observations were recorded twice (morning and noon) daily from
dierent replicates.
Growth and body indices
Growth and morphometric parameters were carefully examined to
predict daily feed ration. Each sh was individually weighed and all the
other morphometric parameters were measured before the start of the
trial and then in the lapse of every 2 weeks. e sh was removed from
the tank individually and placed on laminated graph paper. Length
from the mouth to the caudal peduncle and depth from the deepest
point of the body to the base of the dorsal n was measured (mm).
Fish were then placed in a tarred beaker of tank water on an analytical
balance for body weight measurements and then returned to their
respective holding tank. e duration of study was 8 weeks.
Statistical Analysis
Data was subjected to One-way ANOVA Technique under
completely randomized design. To determine signicant dierences
(P<0.05) among the treatments means, Duncan’s multiple range
test was employed. Pearson correlation was applied to nd out the
correlation between the studied parameters. e level of signicance
was <0.05 or otherwise stated.
Results
Body weight and body indices of all the groups are shown in Table
2. Signicantly higher initial body weight was observed in sh allocated
to feed B followed by feed A, C and D, respectively (P<0.05). All the sh
allocated were of equal length, means horizontal growth was not unlike
among the various treatments (P>0.05). Caudal length was found to be
signicantly higher in group C, followed by B, D, and A (P<0.05). More
than 10% increase in caudal length has been observed in sh allocated
to feed C as compared to feed A. e girth of sh allocated to group A
and B was highest while the lowest response was observed in feed C
and D (P<0.05).
e observations of weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR)
are shown in Table 3. e weight gain was improved in group B (68.5
g) while the better FCR was noticed in group A (1.28). Feed B showed
2.5 times improvement in weight gain as compared to feed D (68.5 vs.
29.0 g) while feed A responded almost 5 times better than feed D (1.28
vs. 9.66).
e correlation between weight, length, caudal n, girth, pH,
temperature, DO and salinity is shown in Table 4. e caudal n of sh
showed a highly positive correlation (+ 0.548) with weight (P<0.01) and
a negative correlation (-0.792) with length (P<0.001) whereas the water
DO showed a positive correlation (+ 0.538) with water temperature
(P<0.001). e salinity of water is positively correlated (+ 0.729) with
temperature (P<0.05).
Discussion
e positive correlation of the caudal n with weight and length
leads to the fact that the measurement of caudal n could be a good
criteria to estimate the weight of the sh. Increase in water temperature
reduced the water DO and salinity so it also needed to maintain
an optimum temperature for better dissolved oxygen and salinity
level. ere are some physicochemical viz. Temperature, Salinity,
Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and pH which are considered
to be important and critical water quality parameters in aquaculture
[19,20]. Each water quality factor interacts with and inuences other
parameters, sometimes in complex ways [21]. Brian [22] and Ita et al.
[23] noted that increased DO level is needed to support an increase
in metabolic rates and reproduction. McElwee [24] described that
temperature has an inuence on salinity tolerance since they uctuate
together in nature and these uctuations may positively or negatively
inuence growth and reproductive performance of cichlids. Watanabe
et al. [25] observed that growth and survival in sh are not aected at
dierent salinity levels when temperature exceeds 27°C but salinity has
pronounced eect at temperatures below 25°C.
e initial observations in the present study did not aect further
growth responses (on percent basis). In the present study the higher
body weight was observed in sh fed to a frequency of two times per
day. Similar results were observed by James and Sampath [26] in Red
Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) which indicated that feeding twice a day
resulted in the highest growth and reproductive success of this specie in
a cultured system, when compared with 4 alternative feeding regimens
Nutritional compositional (g/kg)
Crude Protein 170.0
Crude Fiber 45.0
Crude Fat 30.0
Moisture 100.0
Table 1: Proximate Composition of Nova Aquarium Fish Food.
Parameters Feed-A1Feed-B2Feed-C3Feed-D4
Body weight (g) 12.26 ± 0.40ab 12.45 ± 0.36a11.01 ± 0.54bc 10.29 ± 0.49c
Body Length (cm) 7.45 ± 0.09a7.57 ± 0.09a7.37 ± 0.16a7.27 ± 0.10a
Caudal length (cm) 2.71 ± 0.07b2.88 ± 0.06ba 3.10 ± 0.11a2.86 ± 0.06b
Girth (cm) 7.82 ± 0.13a7.65 ± 0.11a7.17 ± 0.18b6.95 ± 0.13b
a,b,cData gures with different superscript letters across the rows are signicantly
different from each other at P<0.05
1Feeding frequency is once per day
2Feeding frequency is twice per day
3Feeding frequency is thrice per day
4Feeding frequency is four times per day
Table 2:Growth and length of goldsh at the start of feeding trial.
Feed Weight Gain (g)1FCR (g:g)
A 64.95 ± 0.06a1.28 ± 0.04a
B 68.47 ± 0.04b2.63 ± 0.02b
C 58.47 ± 0.09c3.94 ± 0.06c
D 29.02 ± 1.00d9.66 ± 0.03d
a,b,c,dData gures with different superscript letters across the rows are signicantly
different from each other at P<0.05
1Weight gain was calculated by dividing average weight of 10 sh minus the initial
weight
1Feed A means feeding frequency is once per day
2Feed B means the feeding frequency is twice per day
3Feed C means the feeding frequency is thrice per day
4Feed D means the feeding frequency is four times per day
Table 3: Weight gain and FCR of goldsh reared under various feeding frequency
regimes
Citation: Hafeez-ur-Rehman M, Iqbal KJ, Abbas F, Mushtaq MMH, Rasool F, et al. (2015) Inuence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance
and Body Indices of Goldsh (Carrassius auratus). J Aquac Res Development 6: 336. doi:10.4172/2155-9546.1000336
Page 3 of 4
Volume 6 • Issue 5 • 1000336
J Aquac Res Development
ISSN: 2155-9546 JARD, an open access journal
(once, thrice, once and twice a day). James and Sampath [26] had
similar ndings in Siamese ghting sh (Bettas plendens. Regan) who
showed that sh fed twice a day to satiation elicited maximum growth
and reproductive output when compared with its counterparts (1 meal
in 3 d, 1 meal in 2 d, 1 meal/d, and 3 meals/d). Contrary to our results
commercially cultured sh species such as Black Rocksh (Sebastes
schlegeli) suggested that feeding to satiation once a day resulted in
optimum growth [27]. Gibel Carp (Carrassius auratus gibelio), showed
a signicant surge in growth rate and feed eciency when feeding
frequency increased from 2 to 3, 4, 12, and 24 feedings per day, with
the recommendation of 24 feeding times per day for this species [15].
e dierence in results might be due to the fact that goldsh is not
usually reared for commercial purpose. Moreover, this fact also leads to
the fact that there is a need to improve the genetic potential of goldsh
if we want to rear it for commercial reasons. In the present study, the
maximum weight gain was observed in the feed (B) and the same result
was observed in Siamese ghting sh (Betta splendens. Regan) which
showed that 2 meals per day fed to satiation are sucient to support
the maximum growth. Further it has been reported that ornamental
Red Swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) fed 2 meals per day resulted in the
greatest growth [28]. But contrary to present study the juvenile Atlantic
Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) displayed improved growth rates
when fed on satiation 5 times per day, compared with one time per day
[29], and African Catsh (Clarias gariepinus) exhibited greater growth
rates when fed to satiation twice compared with 3 times per day [30]. In
the present study the better feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed
in Feed (A) but contrary to present study best FCR were observed
for the Goldsh fed 4 times per day, indicating that this frequency of
feeding was optimal, suggesting that both growth and feed utilization
are more ecient at this feeding frequency [31].
Conclusion
It is inferred that frequency feeding has profound eects on growth
of goldsh. However two times per day feeding frequency is better
choice for maximum body weight gain but the eciency of feed could
be improved if feed frequency remained once per day. Moreover, for
rearing goldsh at commercial level it is recommended to geneticist
and breeders to improve its genetic potential.
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Correlation Weight Length Caudal Fin Girth pH Temp. DO Salinity
Weight NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS
Length NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS
Caudal Fin 0.548** -0.792*** NS NS NS NS NS NS
Girth NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS
pH NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS
Temp NS NS NS NS NS 0.729*** NS NS
Do NS NS NS NS NS 0.538* NS NS
Salinity NS NS NS NS NS NS NS NS
NS- Non-signicant; * P<0.05; ** P<0.010; *** P<0.001
Table 4: Pearson Correlation between weight, length, caudal n, girth, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and salinity
Citation: Hafeez-ur-Rehman M, Iqbal KJ, Abbas F, Mushtaq MMH, Rasool F, et al. (2015) Inuence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance
and Body Indices of Goldsh (Carrassius auratus). J Aquac Res Development 6: 336. doi:10.4172/2155-9546.1000336
Page 4 of 4
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ISSN: 2155-9546 JARD, an open access journal
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Citation: Hafeez-ur-Rehman M, Iqbal KJ, Abbas F, Mushtaq MMH, Rasool F,
et al. (2015) Inuence of Feeding Frequency on Growth performance and Body
Indices of Goldsh (Carrassius auratus). J Aquac Res Development 6: 336.
doi:10.4172/2155-9546.1000336
... The fish were fed 2.0% of the body weight twice daily. An equal amount of feed was provided in the morning and evening feeding times as suggested by Rehman et al. [21]. ...
... The following formulas have been used to estimate various parameters [21,22], such as the following: Measurements of aquatic plants were conducted in order to know the amount of azolla and duckweed eaten by the goldfish. The wet weight of aquatic plants was recorded using the electronic balance. ...
... Analysis of nutrients and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) was carried out at the interval of seven days. Water samples were collected from each of the aquariums using a 250 mL polyethylene The following formulas have been used to estimate various parameters [21,22], such as the following: ...
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... The keeping of ornamentalfish hasbecome an increasingly important aspect of life today worldwide. Ornamentalfish are often referred to as living gems due to their gorgeous colours, beautiful body shapes and carefree behaviours that appeal to anyone who looks atthem [4]. One particular interesting species of ornamental fish is the goldfish or CarassiusAuratus,the scientific name. ...
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... To improve the culture of M. cavasius there is a need for understanding the culture management method in the area of feeding and feeding frequency to produce fish within a short time and at minimum cost and quality. Many researchers studied the effects of feeding frequency on growth of some edible and aquarium fishes (4,(11)(12)(13) but to the best of knowledge no information is available about the effect of feeding regime on growth and survival rate as well as RNA:DNA ratio regarding M. cavasius. So, the present study was undertaken to estimate the growth performances of M. cavasius under different feeding frequencies fed with micro-pelleted feed. ...
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... Excessive feeding frequencies may imply higher production costs due to the waste of high value diets associated with worsening crop water quality, leading to the appearance of pathologies and mortality (Hafeez-ur-Rehman et al., 2015;Marimuthu, Umah, Muralikrishnan, Xavier, & Kathiresan, 2011). However, the performance results of dusky grouper obtained through the use of 12 times a day frequency have demonstrated that this food management practice can reduce food losses and reduce production costs, with a parallel impact on effluent reduction and on the sustainability of marine fish farming. ...
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... Chosen potential food ingredients with a unique spotlight on wellsprings of plant root were utilized as a part of this study [42][43][44][45][46][47]. Choice of the feedstuffs depended on the accessibility of the ingredients. ...
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This study shows the effect of wastewater of El-Sail Drain on the strength of Oreochromis niloticus gathered from two destinations of River Nile at Aswan Governorate. The physicochemical parameters of water such as pH, electric conductivity, complete broke down solids, disintegrated oxygen, organic and concoction oxygen requests; nitrite, nitrate and alkali were resolved. Substantial metals (Cu, Pb, Cd and Ni) fixations in water and fish tissues were recognized. The microbiological, parasitological and neurotic states of fish were likewise researched. Higher estimations of pH, EC, BOD and COD were recognized in site II than from site I. As opposed to DO, nitrite, nitrate and smelling salts which were lower in site II. Substantial metals focuses in water of both sites, particularly Ni, Pb and Cd surpassed as far as possible and its abundance followed the order: Pb>Ni>Cd>Cu. Total bacterial count, all out coliform, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp. and E. coli were recognized in higher numbers in water tests from site II. Additionally, the fish got from that site revealed higher bacterial and parasitic contamination. The bioaccumulation of Ni and Pb surpassed the most extreme allowable limit; in any case, Cu and Cd focuses were underneath as far as possible in various tissues. The bioaccumulation variable of Cu demonstrated its most noteworthy worth in liver. The histopathological injuries were more prominent in fish gathered from site II. Thus, expending fish got from the considered locales around El-sail drain disposal point speaks to serious risk on human health.
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Koki baster fish (Carasius auratus) or goldfish, besides as ornamental fish are also used as fish feed and fishing bait which demand tends to increase from year to year. However, from 2012 to 2015, the production of koki baster fish has decreased. This study aims to analyze the application of the management of koki baster fish in Cisaat Subdistrict, Sukabumi Regency, so that a management strategy can be formulated in developing environmentally friendly koki baster in Sukabumi Regency. Data collection was conducted through interviews, observations, questionnaires and documentation. The questionnaires were distributed to 100 respondents who were conducting hatchery for koki baster that scattered in 13 villages in Cisaat Subdistrict. As comparative data, the hatchery of koki baster fish was conducted in the research pond. The variables used are the aquaculture stage (x) consisting of lime dosage, organic fertilizer, anorganic fertilizer, water height, female parent, parent feed, comparison of male and female parent, parent age, larvae feed and duration to number of larvae (y). The variables were analyzed by validity, reliability, multiple regression analysis and principal component analysis using SPSS and Minitab application. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis obtained the relationship between variables in the seeding stage with the number of larvae. Correlation test showed that the variable use of fertilizers had a positive correlation of 69,5% to the number of larvae. Conversely, the variable water height has a negative value on the number of larvae, which is -3.5%. The principal component analysis showed that the variable use of organic fertilizer, anorganic fertilizer and larvae feed was in the first component area. It means that the variable has a large correlation to the number of larvae. The conclusion of there search is the community does not yet have standard in managing fish hatching of koki baster fish, they only rely on experience and habits so that the obtained production is still low. Strategies to increase the production of koki baster fish are need to be standardized on how to farm koki baster fish, standarized koki baster fish and community coaching on the need to carry out the stages of koki baster fish breeding in accordance with the good and environmentally friendly method of fish hatchery. Ikan koki baster (Carasius auratus) selain sebagai ikan hias juga digunakan sebagai pakan ikan dan umpan pancing yang permintaannnya cenderung meningkat dari tahun ke tahun. Namun demikian dari tahun 2012 hingga 2015, produksi ikan baster mengalami penurunan. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisa penerapan manajemen usaha budidaya ikan koki baster di Kecamatan Cisaat Kabupaten Sukabumi sehingga dapat dirumuskan strategi pengelolaan dalam pengembangan budidaya ikan koki baster di Kabupaten Sukabumi yang ramah lingkungan. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara, pengamatan, kuesioner dan dokumentasi. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah kuesioner yang dibagikan kepada 100 orang responden yang melakukan kegiatan pembenihan ikan koki baster di 13 desa yang tersebar di Kecamatan Cisaat. Sebagai data pembanding dilakukan kegiatan pembenihan ikan koki baster di kolam penelitian. Variabel yang digunakan dalam analisis keterkaitan produksi adalah tahapan budidaya (x) yang terdiri atas dosis kapur, pupuk organik, pupuk anorganik, tinggi air, induk betina, pakan induk, perbandingan induk jantan dan betina, umur induk, pakan larva, dan lama pemeliharaan terhadap jumlah larva (y). Variabel-variabel tersebut dianalisis dengan regresi berganda dan analisa komponen utama menggunakan aplikasi SPSS dan Minitab yang sebelumnya dilakukan uji validitas dan reliabilitas. Berdasarkan hasil analisa regresi berganda diperoleh keterkaitan antara varibael-variabel dalam tahapan pembenihan dengan jumlah larva. Uji korelasi menunjukan variabel penggunaan pupuk berkorelasi positif sebesar 69,5% terhadap jumlah larva. Sebaliknya variabel tinggi air memiliki nilai korelasi negatif terhadap jumlah larva yaitu sebesar -3,5%. Analisa komponen utama menunjukan bahwa variabel penggunaan pupuk organik, pupuk anorganik dan pakan larva berada pada wilayah first component artinya variabel tersebut memiliki korelasi yang besar terhadap jumlah larva. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah masyarakat belum memiliki standar dalam melaksanakan pengelolaan pembenihan ikan koki baster, hanya mengandalkan pengalaman dan kebiasaan saja sehingga produksi yang diperoleh masih rendah. Strategi untuk meningkatkan produksi ikan koki baster di masyarakat, perlu adanya standar tentang cara budidaya ikan koki baster, standardisasi ikan koki baster dan pembinaan kepada masyarakat tentang perlunya melaksanakan tahapan-tahapan budidaya ikan koki baster sesuai dengan cara pembenihan ikan yang baik dan ramah lingkungan.
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Studies on the effects of feeding frequency on the growth of young estuary groupers (Epinephelus tauvina) with initial size ranging from 16.2 to 16.9 cm in total length were conducted in floating net-cages. Seven feeding frequencies in the order of one feeding in 5 days, 4 days, 3 days, 2 days, 1 day, two feedings daily and three feedings daily were studied. Optimal growth and good food conversion ratio as well as higher survival rate were obtained in groups fed to satiation with one feeding in 2 days. Weight gains were substantially reduced in groups fed to satiation with one feeding in 5, 4 or 3 days and were not enhanced when the feeding frequencies were increased to two or three feedings daily. The fact that food conversion ratios were similar in fish fed to satiation with one feeding in 5, 4, 3 and 2 days suggests food intake to be important as a growth limiting factor. Total food intake per feeding was appreciably higher in fish fed once in 2 days. The intake of food was found to be closely related to the amount of food remaining in the stomach, intake being maximal when the stomach was empty. The food deprivation time in estuary groupers was found to be about 36 hours at which over 95% of the food was digested and less than 0.5% body weight of food remained in the stomach. Hence, feeding the fish at 48-hour intervals, i.e. once in 2 days, greatly enhanced maximum intake and efficient utilization of the food.
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Experiments were performed to investigate the influence of feeding frequency on growth, gonad weight and fecundity in an ornamental fish, Betta splendens. Five groups of 30-day-old juveniles (0.045±0.01 g; 14.43±2.2 mm) were fed either one meal in three days, one meal in two days, one meal per day, two meals per day or three meals per day for 77 days. Mean body length and weight increased linearly in all groups. However, the feeding, growth and fecundity rates increased with feeding frequency up to two meals a day, thereafter they declined. Fish fed once in three days consumed only 266 mg feed (dry weight) that was converted into 61 mg flesh (dry weight). Fish fed once in two days consumed 384 mg and gained 116 mg flesh. For fish fed once a day, 543 mg were consumed and converted to 175 mg flesh. For those fed twice a day, 1000 mg feed produced 279 mg flesh and for those fed three times a day, 886 mg food produced 242 mg flesh. The growth rate was significantly and drastically lower in all groups after spawning began, perhaps due to diversion of assimilated food energy for egg production. The gonad developed significantly (p<0.05) earlier in fish given at least one meal per day and weighed 85.5, 158 and 246.5 mg (wet weight) in fish fed once, twice and three times per day, respectively, on day 35 while it weighed only 56 and 93.5 mg on day 63 in fish fed once in three or two days, respectively. A similar trend was noted in the gonadosomatic index. Female B. splendens laid 274 and 454 eggs in groups fed once in three or two days, and 1833, 2202 and 632 eggs in groups fed once, twice or three times a day, respectively. Feeding three times a day resulted in total mortality of the spawners during the third spawn. Two meals a day elicited the maximum growth and reproductive performance and hence is considered optimal for B. splendens.
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In three studies on the effects of frequency of feeding on channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), optimal growth and food efficiency were obtained from groups fed to satiation two times per day. Gains in weight were substantially reduced in groups fed only one time per day and were not enhanced by feeding four times per day. The fact that food efficiencies were similar in fish fed one, two, and four times per day indicated that food intake and not utilization was the growth limiting factor. In a study with automatic feeders, fish fed 24 times per day had significantly poorer gains and food efficiencies than those fed four or eight times per day.
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