Masculinization of betta fish (Betta splendens) through natural honey immersion with different concentration

Abstract

Male betta fish is more popular and expensive compared to female betta fish because it has a more beautiful body shape and color. One effort to increase the population of male fish is the method of masculinization to reverse the sex of fish into males, so that the profit value is higher. Generally, sex directives or sex reversal usually use the steroid hormone: 17α-metiltestosterone (MT) by the method: immersion, injection or orally through feed. However, this MT hormone has side effects which can cause pollution, liver damage in test animals and can cause mortality. This study was conducted to determine the survival rate of larvae and increase the percentage of male betta fish through natural honey immersion with different concentrations. The method used in this study was a laboratory experiment, using 3 treatments namely A (5ml/L), B (6ml/L), C (7ml/L) and 3 replications. Betta fish larvae as test animals are 7 days old, with natural honey immersion for 12 hours and then reared for 60 days. The results of this study indicate that the survival rate of betta fish larvae after honey immersion treatment (12 hours) averaged 100% and the percentage of survival of betta fish during rearing (60 days) ranged from 25.55 - 30.00%. And the average sex percentage of male sex larvae in the treatment of natural honey immersion is 5 ml / L (85.00%), 6 ml / L (95.24%) and 7 ml / L (100%). Thus it can be concluded that proper honey concentration plays an important role in the process of masculinization.