Elaboración de una proteína biológica a base de copépodos de agua dulce, cultivados bajo condiciones controladas, para uso como alimento vivo en tilapi

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to produce a biological protein based on freshwater copepods, cultured under controlled conditions, for use as live food for tilapia. The experimental process had three phases, the first was in the field and consisted of the collection of freshwater copepods in the Antisana National Park, Laguna La Mica; the second phase was in the laboratory and sought to morphologically identify the copepod under the microscope; the identified species was Leptodiaptomus minutus. Micropropagation of phytoplankton was also carried out, obtained from the same lagoon, which was used as copepod food. The last field phase was based on the in vitro massification of copepods, the cultivation and feeding of tilapia. This began with the acclimatization of the copepods to avoid a delay in growth or death. Due to water contamination caused by organic matter in both copepods and tilapia, a consortium of beneficial bacteria was applied to reduce it. Three treatments in feed composition were evaluated for the fingerling, juvenile and adult stages of tilapia, to determine the optimal percentage of copepods as a feed contribution mixed with commercial feed; a control treatment was used, which consisted of feeding the fish only with commercial feed. The best treatments for the fingerling stage were T0 (control), T1 and T2, administering up to 66% copepods and 44% feed. For the juvenile and adult stages, it was found that the treatments T0 (control) and T1 (25% copepods and 75% feed) were statistically equal, the fish reached their commercial weight at the fifth month, with a weight for T0 of 449.51 g and for T1 of 444.75 g; a size for T0 of 26.16 and for T1 of 25.04 cm. Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that the copepod-based diet can replace between 25 and 66% of the feed, depending on the stage of the tilapia.