Efficiency of homemade egg-based diet for male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)

Abstract

The proposed homemade egg-based diet (EBD) was studied to provide a suitable feed as an alternative for available instability of live diets and expensive commercial feeds for Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). The EBD was compared with the widely used commercial feeds, Sakura and Betta Bio-Gold. The 1.5-month-old solid-red male fish were individually reared and fed with the three alternative diets (EBD, Sakura, and Betta Bio-Gold) at 5% of body weight twice daily (09.00 and 17.00 h) for eight weeks. At the end of the trial, growth performances were measured in terms of final body weight and weight gain. The results showed that fish fed with the EBD and the Betta Bio-Gold had similar growth performances (p > 0.05), but both were significantly higher than those fed with the Sakura (p < 0.05). Feeding rates, feed conversion ratios, and protein efficiency ratios of the EBD and the Betta Bio-Gold fish groups were also superior to the Sakura. This corresponded with significantly higher specific activities of the intestinal protein-digesting enzymes (trypsin and chymotrypsin) (p < 0.05). However, their stomach protein-digesting enzyme (pepsin) and the activity ratio of amylase to trypsin were significantly lower (p < 0.05). Specific activities of amylase and lipase were similar among the three dietary groups. Fish coloration was not influenced by the diet types, while improved muscle protein synthesis capacity and carcass lipid were observed in the EBD group. These findings indicate the EBD as an advantageous diet for male Siamese fighting fish.