IMPROVEMENT OF WATER QUALITY AND BREEDING OF SIAMESE FIGHTING FISH (BETTA SPLENDENS REGAN) USING INDIAN ALMOND (TERMINALIA CATAPPA) LEAVES

Abstract

The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens Regan) is considered as one of the most famous aquarium fishes in the world. Despite the dozens of popular articles and increasing scientific investigations on this exciting species, accounts dealing with reproductive behavior are noticeably lacking in quantitative description and are sometimes contradictory. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) leaves in the water quality parametersand breeding of B. splendens. A completely randomized design was usedin the study having four treatments with three replications. There were 12 experimental units with these notations in each Treatment: T1 (no leaf), T2 (1 leaf), T3 (2 leaves), and T4 (4 leaves) per aquarium with a dimension of 12 x 12 x 10 inches at 12L water volume and stocked with 24breeders (male & female), respectively. The result showed that the water quality parameters were found within the optimum range in all Treatments. The water pH and dissolved oxygen in T4 obtained the best result compared to other Treatments and had a highly significant difference (P<.001) observed. Furthermore, T4 positively promoted breeders to spawn at a hatching rate (HR) of 0.45%, then T3 with 0.07%. In addition, T3 and T4 obtained 100% survival rate (SR)while T2 and T1 with 83.33% and 66.67% SR. The HR and SR of B. splendens showed no significant differencein all treatments. Moreover, the application of Indian Almond (T. catappa) leaves can improve water quality, encourage breeding, promote spawning, survival, and hatching of Siamese fighting fish.