Changes in color of betta fish (Betta splendens) by feeding of Artemia salina enriched with Tagetes erecta flower flour

Abstract

Abstract. Kiswara CA, Budiharjo A, Sari SLA. 2020. Changes in color of betta fish (Betta splendens) by feeding of Artemia salina enriched with Tagetes erecta flower flour. Cell Biol Dev 4: 46-50. Betta fish are attractive due to their varied and vibrant colors and aggressive temperament. Carotenoids are the pigments found in betta fish. They are kept in chromatophores. While fish cannot synthesize carotenoids in their bodies, they can absorb them from their diet and use them as pigments to enhance the color intensity of their bodies. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of color change and survival of betta fish fed with Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758), which has Tagetes erecta L. flower flour as their food. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) and three treatments with varying compositions of rice flour: T. erecta flower flour, namely, 5:1, 2:1, and 1:1, respectively. Artemia salina fed simply with rice flour was a control. Betta fish require 40 days of care. Color intensity was determined once every ten days using a color scale with a score of 1 (white), 2 (weak red), 3 (medium red), and 4 (dark red) (red). The results indicated that A. salina fed in a 1:1 ratio had the best effect on improving the color brightness of betta fish. All parts of the betta fish's body received a score of 4 in this treatment, including the head, fins, and tail.