The Effect of guava extract on water quality and survival of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) during closed transportation

Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, IPB University, 16680 Bogor, Indonesia

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Abstract

Transportation activities are a major cause of tilapia mortality due to stress induced by long travel, decreased dissolved oxygen, and high levels of ammonia. The addition of guava leaf extract expected to be an alternative solution. This study aimed to analyze the effect of guava leaf extract addition during transport and post-transport rearing on survival rate, water quality, blood glucose, and specific growth rate of tilapia. This study used a completely randomized design of two treatments and one control all in triplicate. Transportation 24 hours and maintenance after transportation 21 days. The results of the study showed more optimal water quality and changes in blood glucose after transport in control 117.33 mg dL⁻¹, while 0.50% was 87.33 mg dL⁻¹, which was relatively lower than the control. A 0.50% dose resulted in an increase in survival rate (SR) from 80% in the control group to 90%. After maintenance treatment with extract resulted in an SR of 100%. Specific growth rate in treatments did not have a significant effect. Conclusion is that the addition of guava leaf extract as an environmentally friendly additive at 0.50% of the total water volume used in tilapia significantly affects SR, water quality during transportation, and blood glucose levels in fish after transportation.