Possibilities of utilizing dietary supplements in semi-intensive culture of deccan mahseer (Tor khudree)

Abstract

Effectiveness of dietary supplements on the growth performance, survival, nutri-tional efficiency, body indices and biochemical composition of deccan mahseer (Tor khudree) was evaluated in a semi-intensive culture system. The ponds were fertilized with raw cow dung and single super phosphate. Fish (1.10+0.03 g) at a stocking density of three per square meter were fed for a period of 180 days with the formulated practical diets. The test diet D1 was un-supplemented basal diet, which served as the control while in four of the test diets, D2, D3, D4 and D5, dietary supplements viz. cholicalciferol (1800 IU•kg-1), soylecithin (3.5%), thyroxine (0.05ppm) and betaine (0.5%), respectively, were added. The inclusion level of the dietary supplement was based on the best results ob-tained, in terms of growth performance, feed utilization and survival, in previous investi-gations carried out for the same fish species under laboratory conditions. Feeding soylecithin supplemented diet (D3) resulted in significantly (P<0.05) higher percentage weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) than was observed with other diets. Survival was independent of the treatments. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were significantly better (P<0.05) in the fish fed with the diet D3 compared to fish fed with all other diets. The crude protein efficiency (CPE), crude fat efficiency (CFE) and gross energy efficiency.