Biotropia: The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Biology (Jan 2019)
EFFECTS OF RED YAM FLOUR (Ipomoea batatas L.) ON THE GROWTH, SURVIVAL RATE AND SKIN COLOR OF GOLDFISH (Carrasius auratus)
Abstract
The best quality goldfish requires a good environment and a highly nutritious feed. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of commercial diets supplemented with 0%, 3%, 6%, 9% and 12% red yam flour (Ipomoea batatas L.) on the growth rate, survival rate and skin color of the goldfish Carrasius auratus. A completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and three replicates was used. Seventy-five goldfishes with an average initial length of 4.4 cm were fed the supplemented commercial diets for twenty-eight days inside fifteen experimental tanks. The results showed that the 9% dietary treatment significantly affected the skin color of the goldfishes but not their growth and survival rates (P > 0.05). Hence, the administration of 9% concentrated red yam flour was a suitable dietary supplement to improve skin pigmentation, an important characteristic of aquarium fishes.
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