Natural plankton, fresh ferment and dehydrated yeast utilization at Loricariichthys platymetopon (Isbrüchen & Nijssen, 1979) (Osteichthyes, Loricariidae), cascudo chinelo, fry feeding

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate different foods effects in the rearing of Loricariichthys platymetopon (Osteichthyes, Loricariidae) fry, 240 5-day-after-hatch specimens were distributed in 20 aquarium glasses (12 L). Five treatments, with four repetitions each, were tested, consisting in: plankton (P), fresh ferment (F), dehydrated yeast (DY) and the combinations P+F and P+DY, for 15 days. F and DY were given ad libitum three times a day, and P only in the morning, after the aquariums siphoning. Temperature, pH, electric conductivity and dissolved oxygen were in levels acceptable for fish. The fry biomass per aquarium values were higher for the P + DY treatment, when compared to P, F and P+F, but equal to DY. Also, P +DY-fed fry showed higher mean final weight than all the other treatments. F-treated fry showed mean final weight lower than the ones treated with P, DY and P+F. The P treatment showed lower survival rate than DY and P+DY. The results indicate that P + DY can be used for Loricariichthys platymetopon fry rearing during their initial development phases.