Effects of different commercial diets on growth performance, health and resistance to Tetrahymena sp. infection in guppies, Poecilia reticulata (Peters)

The effects of feeding guppy fry, Poecilia reticulata (Peters), different commercial diets from BernAqua [MeM (R = Regular, O = Ornamental and P = Premium) and experimental feed (EF] and Ocean Nutrition (ON) on growth was tested for 57 days. Health status and resistance to Tetrahymena infection were analysed at the end of the trial. The highest growth was obtained in fish fed MeM Regular and MeM Premium (mean final weights of 427 and 417 mg respectively). Fish fed EF had a significantly higher rate of spinal deformity (12.7%) than all other feeding groups (3.05% or less). Histological analysis revealed the accumulation of liver glycogen and/or lipid in fish from all feeding groups; fat accumulation in the abdomen was most pronounced in the EF and MeM Regular-fed fish, and muscle dystrophy was observed in ca. 50% of the fish from all feeding groups except the MeM Ornamental-fed group. The highest mortality following Tetrahymena infection occurred in fish fed EF (87%) and the lowest mortality in the MeM Ornamental-fed fish (58%). Mortalities in all other feeding groups ranged between 69% and 76%. In summary, MeM Ornamental feed provided a moderate weight gain, no muscle dystrophy, negligible deformity and the greatest resistance to parasitic infection.