Optimizing guppy (Poecilia reticulata) larvae nutrition: The role of Chlorella vulgaris and commercial dry feed as artemia replacements

Abstract

Recognizing the importance of sustainable practices in the ornamental fish industry, this study aims to enhance the survival and growth of guppy larvae (Poecilia reticulata) by investigating cost-effective alternatives to decapsulated Artemia. Specifically, the research evaluates various ratios of Chlorella vulgaris and commercial dry feed in the larvae's diet. A 14-day feeding trial was conducted on 5-day post-hatch guppy larvae in 15 indoor aquaria with 15 fish per tank. Five dietary treatments were tested, each with three replicates; CD (100% decapsulated Artemia) as the control diet; FD (100% commercial dry feed); CL (100% Chlorella), CC (50% decapsulated Artemia in CD mixed with 50% Chlorella in CL); and FC (50% commercial dry feed in FD mixed with 50% Chlorella in CL). Growth performance metrics, including final mean body weight (FW), final total length (FTL), specific growth rate (SGR), average daily gain (ADG), along with the survival rate (SR) and stress tolerance were analyzed. The CD and CC dietary treatments provided significantly better growth performance compared to other treatments, as determined by one way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple range test (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between CC and CD with respect to the growth performance of Guppy larvae (p >0.05). Survival rates showed no significant differences except for CL, which had a significantly lower SR compared to other treatments. Fifteen fish per treatment were subjected to a 25 ppt salinity stress test, which showed no significant treatment effect. Given that CC reveals an ADG of 5.21 ± 0.07%, and SGR of 9.34 ± 0.26% without negative effects and offers significant cost reduction compared to CD, incorporating Chlorella vulgaris into the decapsulated Artemia diet at 50% can be recommended as the most cost-effective and efficient option for the larval feeding of guppy.