THA/75/012/WP 12 ASSESSMENT OF A VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX IN AN ARTIFICIAL FEED FOR PLA DUK OUI (Clarias macrocephalus) FRY |
by
Krittiya Taechajanta and Prasert Sitasit
Programme for the Development of Pond Management Techniques
and Disease Control (DoF - UNDP/FAO THA/75/012)
Thailand
National Inland Fisheries Institute
Bangkok, Thailand
1981
The “Programme for the Development of Pond Management Techniques and Disease Control (THA/75/012)” was implemented in Thailand during 1979–82 as a joint project by the Department of Fisheries (DoF) and UNDP/FAO. The purpose of the project was to improve DoF support services for Clarias farming through strengthening:
the skills of Fisheries staff in aquaculture disciplines such as disease diagnosis and treatment, pond management and extension,
the research on solutions for problematical aspects of Clraias culture,
the system of relaying problems from the farms to DoF and of transferring improved technologies, and
the equipment and facility base of DoF for working on aquaculture problems.
Although the UNDP/FAO participation was structured terminate in August 1981, DoF committed continuation of the project to at least August 1982.
This report is one of several Working Papers prepared on various aspects of the project. A list of titles of reports completed in the series is annexed.
Inquiries concerning the subject matter of any particular report should be directed to the author,
c/o | The Director National Inland Fisheries Institute Kasetsart University Campus Bangkhen, Bangkok 9 Thailand |
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Tables:
1. Composition of test diets for feeding C. macrocephalus fry
2. Composition of mineral premix used in preparing fish feeds (NIFI formulation 102)
3. Composition of vitamin premix, NIFI formulation 101, used in preparing fish feed
4. Total daily ration fed to each lot of fish in the trials
ASSESSMENT OF A VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX IN AN ARTIFICIAL FEED FOR PLA DUK OUI (Clarias macrocephalus) FRY1
Krittiya Taechajanta2 and Prasert Sitasit3
Clarias macrocephalus fry were reared on two artificial feeds, one with a vitamin and mineral premix and the other without. The fry, 15 day old fish averaging 0.2 grams each, were stocked at the density of 1,000/m2 in fibre glass tanks and were fed at the presumed rate of 5% of their body weight/day.
At termination of the trials (33 days) survival in lots fed on food with the premix was 79% and the average size of the fish was 0.65 g. Survival in the opposing treatment was 35.18% and the average size of the fish was 0.48 g.
Cost estimates indicated that the diet with the premix could be prepared for about 10฿ (US$0.50)/kg and that 1฿ (US$0.05) worth of feed would be required to feed 100 fry for 30 days.
2 Fisheries biologist, National Inland Fisheries Institute, Bangkok.
3 Chief, Fish Nutrition Unit, National Inland Fisheries Institute, Bangkok.
Common feeds for rearing Clarias macrocephalus fry in Thailand are boiled egg yolk, Moina sp., and ground trash fish. Problems, however, occur with these feeds. Water quality becomes degraded, sometimes severely, when boiled egg yolk and trash fish are used. Furthermore, trash fish is suspected of being an inappropriate food because of its likely content of antithiamine compounds which prevent normal digestion. Although fry grow satisfactorily when fed on Moina sp., availability of the feed is limited and the price is excessive.
Advances in fish nutrition technology generally indicate that water degradation problems can be prevented by using artificial feeds. Preparing them at an acceptible cost for use in Thailand, however, remains to be determined particularly if ingredients have to be imported.
A variety of relatively low cost, locally available materials are suitable for constituting basic diets for C. macrocephalus fry. The need to include vitamin and mineral premixes, usually provided as a commercially prepared package, in these diets is, however, untested.
The study herein was undertaken to assess the inclusion of a vitamin and mineral premix in a basic artificial diet constituted with locally available ingredients as a food for C. macrocephalus fry.
The study was conducted at the National Inland Fisheries Institute, Bangkok, during the period August and September 1979.
Two diets, constituted as shown in Table 1, were prepared. Proximate analysis, about the same for each diet, was:
% | |
protein | 35.65 |
ether extract | 10.13 |
ash | 16.80 |
carbohydrate + fibre | 37.41 |
Table 1. Composition of test diets for C. macrocephalus fry.
Ingredients | % by weight | |
Diet No.1 | Diet No.2 | |
fish meal | 60 | 60 |
peanut meal | 10 | 10 |
fine rice bran | 8 | 8 |
alpha starch | 15 | 15 |
fish oil | 5 | 5 |
vitamin and mineral premix | 2 | 0 |
carbon methyl cellulose | 0 | 2 |
The mineral and vitamin premix was prepared by first constituting the mineral component (Table 2) and the vitamin component (Table 3). These were blended individually then combined in a proportion by weight 11:2 for the mineral and vitamin components, respectively. The resulting mixture was stored at room temperature in sealed plastic bags.
Table 2. Composition of mineral premix used in preparing fish feeds (NIFI formulation 102).
Ingredient | % by weight |
NaCl | 25.00 |
KCl | 8.33 |
MgSO4 | 11.66 |
Ferric citrate | 1.66 |
MnSO4 | 2.08 |
KI | 0.08 |
ZnCO3 | 1.08 |
CuSO4 | 0.08 |
Dicalcium phosphate | 50.00 |
Table 3. Composition of vitamin premix, NIFI formulation 101, used in preparing fish feed (amounts shown are those used to make a 2 kg batch).
Ingredient | Amount |
Vitamin A | 12,000,000 IU |
Vitamin D3 | 4,000,000 IU |
Riboflavin | 8 g |
d-Pantothenic acid | 24 g |
Choline | 1,400 g |
Niacin | 100 g |
Vitamin E | 100 g |
Vitamin K | 4 g |
Vitamin C | 500 g |
Folice acid | 1 g |
Pyridoxine | 5 g |
Thiamine | 5 g |
BHT | 5 g |
The ingredients were combined by blending them in a horizontal mixer for 20 to 25 minutes. The resulting powder was placed in plastic bags, sealed, and stored at room temperature. Feed was delivered to the fish as “dough” made by mixing water (30% by weight) with the powder.
The test diets were fed to C. macrocephalus fry held in four fibre glass tanks with a surface area of 1.472 m2 each and containing 25 cm of water. All fry were obtained from a supply developed at the National Inland Fisheries Institute in induced spawning experiments. At the start of the feeding trials they were 15 days old and averaged 1.8 cm in length and 0.182 g in weight. The fry were first treated in a formalin bath (20 ppm) for 24 hours then stocked in the rearing tanks at the density of 1,000/m2 or 4,000/m3.
During the trial period of 33 days about 4/5 of the water in each tank was exchanged every 3 days.
Two lots of fish were fed with “diet No.1” and two with “Diet No. 2”. The fish were fed twice a day. The total amount of feed given per day was predetermined as shown in Table 4 on the basis of expected growth and this amount was delivered regardless of apparent mortalities.
Table 4. Total daily ration fed to each lot of fish in the trials.
Day | Amount of feed (g/day) |
1 – 2 | 16 |
3 – 7 | 20 |
8 – 10 | 24 |
11 – 13 | 28 |
14 – 20 | 32 |
21 – 23 | 40 |
24 – 27 | 42 |
28 – 31 | 50 |
32 | 60 |
Differences in results between replications were very small so values reported in this report are the average of replications. Table 5 summarizes the performance of the fish in response to each treatment.
The results are conclusive in showing that a vitamin and mineral premix is definitely required as an ingredient in basic artificial feeds constituted from local materials. Weight gains (0.468g/fish) and survival rate (76%) was about double in the treatment with the vitamin and mineral premix as opposed to the treatments without the premix where gains were 0.298g/fish and survival was 35%.
Estimates on costs indicate the practical feasibility of using artificial diets for rearing Clarias fry. Production costs to prepare the diet with the premix was about 10 Baht (US$0.50) per kg. The amount of this food delivered per 100 fish was valued at 1 Baht (US$0.05). The materials cost of the premix ingredient accounted for about 14% of the above. In comparison, the material cost of a nutritionally equivalent amount of trash fish to 1 kg of artificial food is about 9 Baht (US$0.45), however, such food likely lacks the full compliment of vitamins and minerals.
Table 5. Growth and production parameters of C. macrocephalus fry reared over 32 days in a trial comparing two artificial diets.
Diet No.1 | Diet No.2 | |
No. fish stocked: | ||
per tank | 1,472 | 1,472 |
per m2 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
per m3 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
No. fish, day 33: | ||
per tank | 1,163 | 518 |
per m2 | 790,0 | 352 |
per m3 | 3,160 | 1,407 |
Survival rate (%) | 79.00 | 35.18 |
Weight of fish stocked: | ||
av./fish (g) | 0.182 | 0.182 |
per m2 (g) | 182 | 182 |
per m3 (g) | 728 | 728 |
Weight of fish, day 33: | ||
av./survivor (g) | 0.65 | 0.48 |
per m2 (g) | 513 | 169 |
per m3 (g) | 2,054 | 676 |
Weight gain: | ||
av./survivor (g) | 0.468 | 0.298 |
per m2 (g) | 370 | 105 |
per m3 (g) | 1,478 | 418 |
per survivor/day (g) | 0.0146 | 0.0093 |
per m2/day (g) | 11.5 | 3.28 |
per m3/day (g) | 46.18 | 13.07 |
The Programme for the Development of Pond Management
Techniques and Disease Control
(DoF-UNDP/FAO THA/75/012)
Reports
THA/75/012/WP 1 | Report on Aquaculture Training Undertaken at the International Center for Aquaculture, Auburn University, U.S.A. Chanchai Sansrimahachai |
THA/75/012/WP 2 | Third Semi-Annual Report (Sept. 1/80-Feb. 28/81) of Progress on the “Programme for the Development of Pond Management Techniques and Disease Control (DOF-UNDP/FAO THA/75/012)”. Alex N.Fedoruk |
THA/75/012/WP 3 | Management in Clarias Culture, Thailand. James Muir |
THA/75/012/WP 4 | Collecting Clarias Fry from Natural Waters. Montree Muangboon |
THA/75/012/WP 5 | Preliminary List of Diseases of Cultured Clarias in Thailand. National Inland Fisheries Institute, Thailand and Institute of Aquaculture, Stirling, Scotland. |
THA/75/012/WP 6 | Electrophoretic Analysis of Tilapia from the Dusit Palace Stock, Thailand. Brendan McAndrew |
THA/75/012/WP 7 | Water Quality Conditions as Disease Related Stressors in Clarias Pond Culture. Vijai Srisuwantach, Rangsarn Soungchomphan and Pathipath Sae-Eng. |
THA/75/012/WP 8 | Analysis of NIFI Clarias Diet No. 12. Albert J.Tacon and M.Beveridge |
THA/75/012/WP 9 | Summary of the Report “Raising Clarias Fry on an Artificial Diet”. Prasert Sitasit and Alex Fedoruk |
THA/75/012/WP 10 | A Management Perspective on Stress and Infectious Diseases in Clarias Farming. Alex N.Fedoruk |
THA/75/012/WP 11 | Feeds for Catfish (Clarias batrachus Linn.) Fry. Samran Dhamrongrat and Prasit Kasesunchi |