Palatability of Diets Containing Sulfadimethoxine, Ormetoprim, and Romet 30 to Channel Catfish Fingerlings

Abstract

Abstract Palatability studies with the two components of Romet, sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim, indicate that ormetoprim is the primary component that causes reduced consumption of feed containing Romet by fingerling channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). When ormetoprim was added to purified diets at levels equivalent to 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50% Romet, depressed feed intake in 0.10 and 0.25% treatments resulted in consumption of about one-half of the recommended dosage (50 mg Romet/kg body weight). When Romet 30 was added to a practical catfish feed at four different levels (0.100, 0.125, 0.167, and 0.250%), feed intake decreased as the Romet content increased. The feed intake at each dosage resulted in the consumption of approximately 22 mg Romet/kg body weight per day. Based on the findings of this study, our recommendation is that the level of Romet in medicated feed for catfish be 8.3 g/kg feed and that the feed be fed at a rate of 1.0% of body weight!d.