Effect of Water pH from Dried Terminalia catappa Leaves on Increasing Male Ratio and Growth Performance of Halfmoon Fancy Betta Fish (Betta splendens)

Abstract

          The effects of pH from the different quantities of dried Terminalia catappa leaves (TCL) on breeder spawning rate, survival rate, larvae sex ratio and growth performance of halfmoon fancy betta fish were studied. The mean pH that resulted from soaking TCL in water at the concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 g/l were 7.90, 6.67, 6.48, 6.33 and 5.91, respectively. As a result, spawning rate and survival rate of the breeders and survival rate of larvae were significantly different (P<0.05). The pH from the soaking of dried TCL in water at 2.5 g/l was pH 6.67, and this pH produced the highest spawning rate, which was 80.0%. However, the pH that resulted from soaking dried TCL at 10 mg/l was pH 5.91, and at this pH all breeders and larvae died. The immersion of fertilized eggs in various pH that resulted from soaking of different amounts of TCL affected the ratio of males and the growth performance of the B. splendens larvae. It was found that the soaking of dried TCL leaves at 5 g/l, which produced a pH of 6.71, resulted in the highest numbers of male larvae (74.13%). However, the growth of the fighting fish larvae was not significantly different at the various pH (P>0.05). These studies indicate that 1) TCL concentrations of 2.5-7.5 g/l (pH 6.33-6.67) should be used for B. splendens breeding and, 2) a TCL concentration of 5.0 g/l (pH 6.71) increased the number of male larvae by 35.27% compared to the control (pH 7.50).