LARGEMOUTH BASS (MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES): FEEDS
AND TRAINING STRATEGIES
F. Kubitza , L.L. Lovshin-1997
Aquaculture, 148: 299-312
Abstract
Freeze-dried krill (FDK) and krill meal were evaluated as dietary components during feed training of 1-g largemouth bass. Freeze-dried krill, dry pellets with 0, 18, 25, 36, 50, 54, and 75% krill meal, and a commercial moist pellet (BIODIETTM) were compared as starter diets. Fish were fed the starter diets in training periods of 4 to 13 days. Percent fish feeding (feeders) on FDK ranged from 79 to 95% and was higher than percent feeders on other starter diets (P < 0.01). Percent feeders on FDK increased from 79 to 91% as FDK was fed from 4 to 13 days (P < 0.01). Percent feeders on dry pellets increased from 1 to 28% as krill meal levels in dry pellets increased from 0 to 75% (P < 0.01). Percent feeders on BIODIETTM ranged from 9 to 12%. After training, feeders on the starter diets were weaned to dry pellets. Gradual feed transition and gradual feed ingredient transition were compared as strategies to wean fish from FDK to dry pellets. Gradual feed transition is the progressive replacement of the starter diet with the final diet. Gradual feed ingredient transition replaces a particular starter diet by a sequence of feeds containing decreasing amounts of the main component of the starter diet until the final diet is reached. Among fish trained on FDK, 65% weaned to dry pellets after gradual feed ingredient transition compared with only 28% after gradual feed transition (P < 0.01). Fish trained on FDK for 4 days weaned better to dry pellets compared with fish fed FDK for 7 days or longer (P < 0.05). Fish trained once on FDK or fish trained on FDK that did not wean from FDK to dry pellets and were retrained on FDK were weaned to a dry trout pellet using gradual feed ingredient transition. Semi-moist/soft or dry/hard weaning diets with krill meal were evaluated. Percent feeders on trout pellets among fish trained once on FDK was 68 to 71% compared with 33 to 39% for bass trained twice on FDK (P<0.01). Texture of the weaning diets did not affect percent feeders on trout pellets (P>0.10).
(ESALQ-USP/DZ Au. Pádua Dias, 11 Piracicaba, SP 13418-900 Brazil)
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