The effect of various levels of protein, fat carbohydrates and energy on growth, survival and body composition of Chanos chanos fingerlings

Abstract

Rice and fish are staple foods in the Philipines as well as in other parts of Southeast Asia, where calorie/protin malnutrition is a serious probem. Milkfish, (Chanos chanos) is well-liked by the masses and, therefore, ti could be a good source of protein and calories. In traditional culture, milkfish yield is rather low and limited to the carrying capacity of the culture ponds (Lim et al., 1979). To increase production through intensive culture, a diet to supplement the natural food in the ponds is needed. However, practical diet formulation is hampered by the lack of knowledge about the nutritional requirements of milkfish. The present study was carried out to determine optimum protein, fat, carbohydrate and energy levels for milkfish fingerlings using growth, survival, and body composition as parameters for determining the effectivity of the diets. The response surface analysis was explored graphically using a "freehand" technique to search for optimal diets with respect to dietary levels of protein, fat and carbohydrates.