The Effects of Feeding Frequencıes on The Growth Performance and Life Rate in Electric Yellow Fish Fry (Labidochromıs caeruleus)

Abstract

Ornamental fish farming has become an important industry in the world. Ornamental fish are called living gems because of their color, shape and behavior. Modern ornamental fish production requires a nutritionally balanced, cost-effective and sustainable feeding process. Among the operating costs in aquaculture, the cost of feed has a ratio varying between 40% and 60% among the total other expenses. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of meal number on growth performance and survival rate in Electric yellow cichlid fries (Labidochromis caeruleus). 60 Electric yellow cichlid fries were stocked in 12 aquariums of 33 * 35 * 40 cm size established in Tekirdag Namık Kemal University Technical Sciences Vocational School Fisheries Laboratory. The study was carried out in 3 repetitions: 1 meal per day, 3 meals, 5 meals and 1 meal every other day, up to 5% of body weight, by applying 4 different meals to fish. During the study, weight and height measurements were made every 30 days, and the data obtained were evaluated at the end of the study and the effect of growth on the number of meals was investigated. At the end of the trial, body weights were measured as 3.696 ± 1.517 g, 4.757 ± 1.898 g, 3.786 ± 1.539 g and 3.380 ± 1.318 g, and total heights were 5.726 ± 0.675 cm, 6.300 ± 0.530 cm, 5.640 ± 0.776 cm and 4.562 ± 1.952 cm, respectively. No statistical difference was found between the number of meals administered in the study in terms of average body weight gain and specific growth rate. However, according to the results obtained in the length of the fish, a statistical difference was found between feeding 1 meal every other day and the number of other meals. As a result, considering the fish health and feed cost, 3 times daily feeding frequency of the fish was considered sufficient.