Nursery rearing of Thai sarpunti, <i>Barbonymus gonionotus</i> larvae using three different supplementary feeds

Abstract

Nursery rearing of silver barb, Puntius gonionotus (Bleeker, 1850) larvae was carried out with three different feeding treatments T_1, T₂ and T₃ having three replications each in nine rectangular glass aquaria (45x25x24 cm) for a period of 28 days in laboratory condition. Live planktonic feed (5000 cells/L), plankton and rice bran having 14.14% protein, and plankton and Saudi-Bangla nursery feed having 30.20% protein were tested as T_1, T₂ and T₃, respectively. Three days old larvae of B. gonionotus (average length 5.0±0.15 mm and weight 7.0±0.05 mg) were stocked at a stocking density of 4.1 larvae/L of water in each aquarium. The highest length at harvest (28.06±0.38 mm and weight 135.00±3.05 mg) and also highest SGR (18.79±0.80) were found in T₃ followed by T₂ and T₁. The survival rate in all the treatments was high (92-90%) and treatment to treatment variation was not significant (P<0.05). The result implies that the application of supplemental feeds over control in nursery rearing of B. gonionotus larvae had positive role. The non-significant growth variation between T₂ and T₃ indicate suitability of the use of low protein content supplemental feed in the farmers nursery pond during the nursery rearing of B. gonionotus larvae.

Keywords: Silver barb; Nursery rearing; Rice bran; Plankton

DOI: 10.3329/jbau.v7i1.4976

J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 7(1): 139-144, 2009