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Abstract
Two successive experiments were carried out, the experiment 1 followed by the experiment 2. Each of experiments was 60 days in duration and arranged as completely randomized designs in indoor fiber-glass tanks. In the experiment 1, four dietary protein treatments included 35% (NT1.1), 40% (NT1.2), 45% (NT1.3) and 50% (NT1.4). In the experiment 2, the rearing densities consisted of 1 (NT2.1), 1.5 (NT2.2), 2 (NT2.3) and 2.5 (NT2.4) individuals/liter. At the termination of the first experiment, the highest growth was founded in NT1.4 (5.77 ± 0.32 g/fish), which was statistically different (P<0.05) from those in NT1.1 (4.36 ± 0.90 g/fish). The highest survival was determined in NT1.3 (50.05 ± 0.83%) and NT1.4 (52.15 ± 2.55%) where there was a significant difference from NT1.2 (39.23 ± 0.97%) and NT1.1 (39.18 ± 1.72%) (P<0.05). The lowest growth and survival were founded in NT1.1. In the experiment 2, the highest growth rates of fish were founded in NT2.3 (5.66 ± 0.34 g/fish) and NT2.4 (5.84 ± 0.08 g/fish), which were statistically different (P<0.05) from that of NT2.1 (4.44 ± 0.29 g/fish) which was the lowest. The highest survival was founded in NT2.1 (49.2 ± 2.29%) while the lowest one was in NT2.4 (23.8 ± 0.40%). There was a significant difference in survival among four treatments (P<0.05). The results showed that formulated feed with 45-50% CP and rearing densities of 1.5-2 individuals/liter were optimal for butter catfish fingerlings at 31-90 day-old stage in fiber-glass tanks.
Keywords: rearing density, Ompok bimaculatus, dietary protein, formulated feed, butter catfish.