Researchers of IPB Combined Silk Worm (Tubifex) and Artificial Feed for Patin Fish Larvae
The emptiness of the patin seed production usually occurred in the rainy season and the dry season. This was due to the supply of worms which were its main feed. Other than that, in the dry season, the emptiness of the patin production also occurred because the parent of the patin fish was difficult to be mature gonad. Therefore, the dependence on the silk worms should be reduced to increase the production of the patin fish seeds. One alternative that could be done was by providing the artificial feeds and reducing the portion of worms.
Three researchers from the Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Bogor Agricultural University (FPIK of IPB), Dedi Jusadi, Ria Septy Anggraini, and Muhammad Agus Suprayudi conducted the research related to feeding the patin fish larvae with the combination of feed of the silk worms and the artificial feeds.
This research aimed to evaluate the effect of the different frequencies of daily feeding of the silk worms (C) and the artificial feed (PB) towards the survival and growth of the patin fish larvae of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.
In this experiment, the researchers used a new hatch patin fish larvae measuring 0.44 cm. The larvae was kept in a glass aquarium measuring 30×20×20 cubic centimeters filled with water as high as 15 cm for 14 days with a density of 100 fish per aquarium. From the age of five days, the larvae was given the feed according to the treatment, five feeding frequency treatments namely 6C (Worm) + 0PB (Artificial Feed), 5C+2PB, 3C+3PB, 2C+5PB, and 0C+6PB. Feeding was done in ad libitum.
From the result of this experiment, the researchers found that the larvae which was given 6C+0PB and the combination of C+PB had the survival rate and the final length which was not siginificantly different. However, the larvae which was given 0C+6PB yielded the lowest survival rate and ultimate length.
“The survival of the larvae in all four treatments, the worm treatment and the combination of worms with the artificial feeds range between 84 percent to 87 percent. But on the survival of the larvae drops dramatically, when the larvae is only fed by the articial feed. The survival rate of the patin larvae on the treatment of the artificial feed (0C+6PB) is only of 23 percent,” said Dedi.
This research explained that the more frequent portions of frequencies given to PB which was given to the increasing trend of the lipase activity. However, in the protease activity on the giving of 6C+0PB and 0C+6PB was lower than the three treatments of C+PB. Thus, the patin fish larvae could be cultivated by using the combination of the silk worms and the artificial feeds.
“Thus, it can be concluded that given to the patin fish larvae during the maintenance it can be combined between the worm feed and the artificial feed. However, the patin fish larvae can not be fed fully the artificial feed,” he said. (IRM/ris)
