RESULTS OF REARING THE MULTIPLE AGE GROUPS OF CHANNEL CATFISH (ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS RAFINESQUE) WITH THE USE OF PROBIOTIC FEED SUPPLEMENTS NUPRO® AND BIO-MOS®

Purpose. To study the effect of feed supplements NUPRO® and BIO-MOS® on the results of rearing the multiple age groups of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque). Methodology. The study of effect of feed supplements NUPRO® and BIO-MOS® on the results of rearing the multiple age groups of channel catfish have been carried out according to conventional methods. The experiments were conducted in the conditions of Pridneprovsky industrial fish farm of Dnepropetrovsk region. Channel catfish larvae were reared in standard trays. Water volume in trays was maintained at a level of 1.4 m3, stocking density of larvae was 20 thousand fish/tray. Rearing of young-of-the-year channel catfish was conducted in 1 m3 cages, stocking density of grown up larvae was 1000 fish/m3. Age 1+ channel catfish was reared in 1 m3 cages, stocking density was 150 fish/m3. Findings. The studies demonstrated that feeding of multiple age groups of channel catfish with balanced combined feeds with the addition of feed supplements NUPRO® and BIO-MOS® compared to the control group, which was fed with the combined feed but without supplements, increased their growth intensity. The use of these feed supplements in the combined feed composition contributes to an increase in fish growth rate and fish output and to a reduction in feed costs for fish rearing. The results of the conducted works allow determining the optimum doses of the addition of feed supplements NUPRO® and BIO-MOS® in the composition of combined feeds for feeding multiple age groups of channel catfish reared in the controlled conditions of aquaculture, which are as follow: NUPRO® when added to the feed of channel catfish larvae ? 0.5%, young-of-the-year ? 3.0%, age-1+ channel catfish ? 5.0%; BIO-MOS® for channel catfish larvae ? 0.5%, young-of-the-year and age-1+ channel catfish ? 5.0%. Hydrochemical parameters in the experimental ponds were within normal limits, temperature regime was optimal for growth and metabolism in the channel catfish organism. Originality. For the first time, an analysis of the effect of the use of feed supplements NUPRO® and BIO-MOS® in the composition of combined feeds when rearing the multiple age groups of channel catfish has been conducted and the effect of these supplements on fish culture parameters has been investigated. Practical value. The use of the feed supplements NUPRO® and BIO-MOS® has been proposed for increasing rearing performance and reduce feed costs when rearing channel catfish,.