Dietary Protein, Lipid and Dry Matter Requirement of Pearl Gourami Trichogaster Leeri (Bleeker) Fry

Feeding trial was conducted to investigate dietary optimum protein and lipid requirements of fry of Pearl gourami Trihogaster leeri (Bleeker). The isocaloric experimental diets with 25, 35, 45, & 55% protein contents were tested. For lipid requirement, diets with 4, 8, and 12% lipid contents were examined. An experiment on optimum ration size was also carried out for duration of four weeks. The study revealed that the diet C having 45% protein rendered best growth with significant (p<0.05) gain in weight (149.27±2.10), gain in length (26.82%±0.66) and protein efficiency ratio (2.21±0.03). Values for percentage gain in weight (93.09±1.21), percentage gain in length (31.01±1.88), FCR (1.60±0.15) and PER (1.38±0.17) were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the group of 4% lipid. While the FCR (1.45±0.09), PER (1.52±0.02) and SGR (1.60±0.25) values were significantly better (p<0.05) in the group of fishes fed at the rate of 6% body weight The study revealed that the Pearl gourami fed with the diet having 45% protein and 4% lipid gave better growth at 6% of feeding rate.