Effect of a liquid supplement based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus casei on feeding red tit (Oreochromis sp) in the fry and pre-breeding stages

Abstract

The increase in production costs for red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) farming is influenced by the use of fishmeal-based feed concentrates, increasing the cost of rearing and raising fish and directly increasing the final price to the consumer. Therefore, the effect of two types of feed was compared: a traditional feed based on concentrate and a liquid feed supplement containing probiotic microorganisms for red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). Probiotics were obtained fermentatively, their bromatological composition was determined, and weight gain, survival, and size were evaluated during the fry and pre-rearing stages of the species during a 7-week period of feeding, compared to the control treatment. The results showed that the best average weight and size were achieved with treatment T2 (50% liquid protein supplement), followed by the treatment with 75% supplement (T3), which was statistically similar to the treatment with 100% protein supplement (T4), with treatments T0 and T1 corresponding to the commercial feed (control) and 25% supplement, respectively, lagging behind. A reduction in the time to go from the fry to pre-rearing stage was achieved by 10 days (from 45 to 35 days), which translates into greater profits for the fish farmer.