CAN THO UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GUAR GUM IN
DIET ON GROWTH, FEED EFFICIENCY AND FEED
DIGESTIBILITIES OF TRA CATFISH
(Pangasinodon hyphophthalmus)

By

TRAN THI PHUONG HANG

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Bachelor of Aquaculture Science

Can Tho, December 2014


CAN THO UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GUAR GUM IN DIET ON
GROWTH, FEED EFFICIENCY AND FEED DIGESTIBILITIES
OF TRA CATFISH (Pangasinodon hyphophthalmus)

By

TRAN THI PHUONG HANG

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Bachelor of Aquaculture Science

growth, feed efficiency and feed digestibility but also helped to improve faecal
characteristics.
Keywords:catfish, guar gum, growth
Title:Effect of different levels of guar gum in diet on growth, feed efficiency and feed
digestibility of Tra catfish (Pangasinodon hyphophthalmus)

1. INTRODUCTION
Tra catfish (Pangasinodon hyphophthalmus) is one of popular aquaculture species in the
Mekong Delta. With the advantages in topography, weather and many researches on
breeding and rearing techniques Tra catfish are the most interesting species on farming
culture in Vietnam in general and in Mekong Delta particularly. Catfish farming plays
an important role in aquaculture (PhươngandOanh,2010). Besides that, in recent years
Tra catfish consumed markets are hindered in many countries because of some barriers:
chemical contamination, meat quality, taxes. With the current situation of Tra catfish
culturing, sustainable development is crucial. It means that each stage in the culture
process should be considered to minimize negative effects to environment.
To begin with the life stage, fish excrete huge number of waste to environment. Some of
it are able to harm to the fish and their environmental life (Baird et al., 1996; Bergheim
and Åsgård, 1996) and some of it could eliminate by the machine, but this method was
useful when the size of dispersion was big enough (Cripps and Bergheim, 2000;
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Bergheim and Brinker, 2003).Adding binder into the feed is the appropriate solution.
The binder plays an important role in increasing the viscosity and stability of the feces.
The binder can reduce the dispersion of toxic compound such as ammonia, nitrate and
nitrite (Thanapa Janphirom et al., 2010). Since 1987, Storebakken & Austreng used
alginate in Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Shiau et al 1988 also discussed how
Carboxyl methylcellulose (CMC) affected to Tilapia. Brinker also had two researches on
how guar gum affect on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in 2007 and 2009.

catfish, giving more information for the next research to set up the feed formula more
effective to reduce the feed cost, friendly environment and high production.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Experimental Diet
Table 1: Ingredients content in experimental diet
Ingredients
Fish meal 65
Defatted soybean meal 50
Extracted rice brans
Defatted Rice bran
Cassava
Sunflower meal
Fish oil
Premix vitamin-mineral
Marker
Chemical compositions
Crude Protein
Crude Fat
Crude Ash
Starch
Acid Detergent Fiber
Acid Detergent Lignin

g/kg Diet
142.9
168.1
151.8
162.3
160.2
170.2

Ash (%)
11.7
29.1
5.88
11.3
9.84
28.7
5.75
11.2
12.3
30.2
5.81
11.2
11.1
29.1
5.74
11.2
10.2
28.9
5.71
11.3
11.1
28.9
5.84
11.3

2.2 Experimental system and animals
The experiment lasted six weeks at The College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Can Tho
University. Healthy and non-infectious stripped catfish juveniles were taken from


sampleswere dried in oven at 105oC unttable weight; crude protein: using Kjeldahl
method after acid digestion; crude fat: using Soxhlet method after ethyleth erextraction;
crude ash: samples after drying were burnt in furnace at 550-5600C in 4 hours until the
samples had white color for ash determination. Cr2O3 was measured by a
spectrophotometerat the wave length 350 nm after digested by nitric acid then perchlori
cacid (Furukawa and Tsukahara, 1966)
All the data were calculated by Microsoft Excel 5.0 and differences of data between six
treatment diets determined by using one way ANOVA (Duncan test) at significant level
0.05 of SPSS 16.0.
Survival rate (%)(SR)

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Weight gain (g) (WG)
WG = Wt – Wo
Dailyweight gain (g) (DWG)

Feed conversion ratio (FCR)
FCR =
Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER)
PER =
Apparent digestibility coefficient nutrient (ADCNu)

ADCnu: nutrient digesibility
A: % of marker in food
B: % of marker in feces
A’: % nutrient in feed
B’: % nutrient in feces.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Afternoon

Morning

Afternoon

28,40,04
28,40,05
28,50,06
28,40,02
28,50,07

30,70,22
30,60,03
30,70,12
30,60,08
30,60,07

7,50,05
7,50,01
7,50,02
7,50,08
7,50,02

7,60,08
7,60,02
7,60,04
7,60,06
7,60,02


In addition, dissolve oxygen level ranged from 5.85 to 6.38 because of flow through
system and aeration. In conclusion, all of the environment factors according to Boyd
(1998) pH from 6-9, temperature from 25oC to 320C and dissolve oxygen at least 5mg/l
were suitable for growth of Tra catfish.
3.2 Survival rate and Growth performance
3.2.1 Survival rate
There were no significant differences in survival rates between diet treatments. Its
Table 4: The survival rate of Tra catfish during the experiment
Treatment
SR (%)

GG0

98.3± 2.89

GG0.025
a

98.3± 2.89

GG0.05
a

a

100± 0

GG0.1

96.7± 2.89

GG0.1
GG0.2
GG0.3

Wi
95.0±0.12 a
95.0±0.19 a
95.0±0.10 a
a
95.0±0.20
95.0±0.06 a
95.0±0.16 a

Wf
113.6±2.4 a
112.6±5.8 a
110.8±1.4 a
a
111.0±3.0
110.0±2.0 a
110.6±3.6 a

WG
18.6± 2.42a
17.6± 5.70a
15.8± 1.38a
a
15.8± 3.14
15.0± 2.03a
15.5± 3.73a

animal’s efficiency in converting feed mass into increased body mass.
There were no significant differences in feed efficiency (FCR and PER) between
treatments (P>0.05). The FCR increased with the increase of GG level 0.99, 1.04, 1.07,
1.13, 1.23 and 1.23 with GG level from 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, respectively.
Table 6: Effect of different level GG on FCR and PER during the experiments
Treatment
FCR
PER
GG0
GG0.025
GG0.05
GG0.1
GG0.2
GG0.3

0.99± 0.14a
1.04± 0.27a
a
1.07± 0.09
1.13± 0.27a
a
1.23± 0.16
a
1.19± 0.34

3.52± 0.53a
3.53± 1.03a
a
3.12± 0.27
3.13± 0.66a

a
0.74± 0.03

ADCprotein
0.89 ± 0.01d
0.88± 0.2cd
0.88± 0.1cd
0.88± 0.2bc
0.87± 0.03b
a
0.86± 0.01

ADClipid
0.96± 0.01b
0.96± 0.01b
0.96± 0.01b
0.96± 0.01b
0.95± 0.02ab
a
0.94± 0.01

ADCash
0.45± 0.05c
0.40± 0.01bc
0.37± 0.01b
0.37± 0.01b
0.35± 0.02ab
a
0.29± 0.07


GG addition was 0.05 not only had result on improving the characteristics of feces but
also not affecting on growth, feed efficiency and feed digestibility of fish. According to
all results of the study, the level of GG 0.05% was the suitable choice for improving the
feces and economic efficiency.
4. CONCLUSION
The suitable level of guar gum addition in feed was 0.05%. At this level, there was no
effecton survival rate, growth performance, and feed digestibility of fish
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to say thanks to Ms. Tran Le Cam Tu, Mr. Cong and Mr. Tam, Mr. Quan.
Ms Tran, Ms Yen and all of my classmates from Advance Aquaculture Program course
36 for supporting and advising to me during the research. Sincerely thanksto all the staff
of College of Aquaculture and Fisheries for teaching me and provide good conditions for
me to study. Lastly, thanks to my advisor Ass. Professor Dr. Ngo Thi Thu Thao for
being with me during a long time.
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