Application of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) as a Feed Additive for Colour and Growth Enhancement in Balloon Molly (Poecilia sphenops)

Abstract

The use of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) as a dietary additive for growth and pigmentation in balloon mollies (Poecilia sphenops), a species commonly kept in ornamental aquaculture, was explored in this study over 12 weeks. The experiment included four dietary treatments: a control diet and three treatment diets supplemented with sweet potato flour at varying levels of 6%, 9%, and 12%. Fish growth was measured and monitored through their length, weight, weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), and average daily gain (ADG), while fish pigmentation was measured by carotenoid concentration and the intensity of colour in the fish's skin. It was observed that fish on the control diet performed relatively better in terms of growth than those on the supplemented diets, although the difference was insignificant. Supplementation levels of 6% to 12% were responsible for an increase in both carotenoid content and colour intensity, as measured by grayscale analysis. It was determined that higher levels (9%, 12%) of sweet potato in the diet resulted in high levels of carotenoid and colouration without significantly affecting the growth of the fish. Based on the differences in water quality parameters for each treatment, the claim that adding sweet potato to the diet is detrimental to the water environment can be refuted. These results indicate that sweet potato can serve as a good natural colour enhancer, but in some cases, intake should be limited to maintain a favourable growth-to-colour enhancement ratio.