Evaluation of feed types based on growth performance, survival, hematology, and resistance in celebes rainbow (Marosantherina ladigesi)

Celebes rainbow (Marosantherina ladigesi) is one of Indonesia’s exported ornamental fish commodities, but the exploitation of this fish only relies on wild catches. The rise of unlimited fishing, especially those using poison, has changed the aquatic environment, threatening sustainability and causing fish extinction. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of several types of feed in improving the absolute growth rate (AGR), specific growth rate (SGR), survival rate (SR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency (FE), hematology, and immune response of Celebes rainbow. The fish used in this study were male ornamental Celebes rainbow (M. ladigesi) weighing 1.32 ± 0.21 g/ind, reared in 54 L-aquariums at a stocking density of 30 individuals/aquarium for six weeks. The fish were fed according to the test diet consisting of live Tubifex sp worms, dry Tubifex sp worms, Spirulina platensis, and crumble pellets. The parameters observed were AGR, SGR, SR, FCR, FE, hematology, intestinal histology, liver histology, and a challenge test with the pathogenic bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila. The results showed that fish-fed live Tubifex sp worms had better AGR, SGR, SR, FCR, FE, hematology, and disease resistance compared to all other treatments. These results indicate that live Tubifex sp worms are the best feed for rearing Celebes rainbow.