Live food is living food for carnivorous or omnivorous fishes kept in captivity; in other words, small animals such as insects or mice fed to larger carnivorous or omnivorous species kept in either in a zoo or as pet.

 

Ex-

Phytoplankton spirulina, chlorella,

Zooplankton I Infusoria(paramosiam) Daphnia rotifer (brachionus) white worm(enchytraeus) brine shrimp(artimia) earthworm(eisenia) sludge worms(tubifex) water-fleas(moina) blood worms(chironomids)

Other examples are- volvox, ulothrix, anabaena, euglina, copepods, etc.

anabaenaanabaenavolvoxvolvox ulothrixulothrix

copepodescopepodes

NUTRITIVE VALUE;

Protein: 55%- 70%Carbohydrates: 15% - 25% (an excellent low ratio for fish)Fats (lipids): 6% - 8%Minerals: 6 -13%Fiber: 8% - 10%

Natural Pigment Enhancers:

Phycocyanin (Blue): 14%Chlorophyll (Green): 1%Carotenoids (Orange/ Red): 47%

Important Trace Minerals (many of these are essential for proper electrolyte balance and osmotic function):

Calcium (1,315 mg/kg), Iron, Phosphorus (15,400 mg/kg), Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum, Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Germanium, Boron.

Essential Amino Acids:

• ISOLEUCINE (4.130/o): Required for optimal growth, nitrogen equilibrium in the body Used to synthesize other non-essential amino acids. • LEUCINE (5.8001o): increases muscular energy levels. • LYSINE (4.000/o): Building block of blood antibodies, strengthens circulatory system and maintains normal growth of cells. • METHIONINE (2.170/o): Vital lipotropic (fat and lipid metabolizing) amino acid that maintains liver health. An anti-stress factor.• PHENYLALANINE (3.950/o): Stimulates metabolic rate. • THREONINE (4.170/o): Improves intestinal competence and digestive assimilation. • TRYPTOPHANE (1.1301o): Increases utilization of B vitamins, improves nerve health.• VALINE (6.0001o): Stimulates muscle coordination.

Spirulina improves egg production and hatching rates, stimulates the reproductive processes, increases survival rates of younger fish, and arouses the appetite of fish.

It is possible to have a staple fish food that has its primary ingredient as spirulina algae and be an effective diet for most fish. Even carnivores can benefit by feeding spirulina based flakes to feeder fish before feeding as most carnivores in the wild obtain many nutrients from the intestinal tract of the fish they consume.

NUTRITIVE VALUE 60% of Chlorella is protein. Chlorella contains 18 of 22 known amino . high amount of beta-carotene.vitamin A,vitamin C,K Chlorella’s B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin) B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), biotin (also known as vitamin H), folic acid, inositol and PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid). Chlorella’s minerals include calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorous, plus traces of iodine, selenium, zinc and copper. greater quantity of fatty acids like omega-3, alpha-linolenic. so they are very good for harvivorus fish and fish fry. It provides a very high amount energy for metabolisms.

NUTRITATIVE VALUECrude protein (min)55 crude fat (min) 10%, crude fiber (max) 3%, ash (max) 7.2%, moisture (max) 7%.... Rich Nutrition Excellent Palatability Easy store. So it is very popular food suitable for all freshwater fish and ornamental fish.

It is very important for fish larvae as well as adult fish.

NUTRITION VALUE: High quentity protein Important fatty acid Minarels Vitamin, etc

Daphnia is a freshwater species, it is not a suitable prey organism for marine organisms,NUTRITIVE VALUE:Protein-60-65%Crude fat-5-7%Cure fibreessential fatty- EPA and DHAa broad spectrum of digestive enzymes such, as proteinases, peptidases, amylases, lipases and even cellulase, various types nutrient

NUTRITION VALUE Crude protein-62.5% Crude fat-10.4% Ash-11.6% NFE-15.4% Dry matter-9.3% Iron The chironomid larvae and pupae are highly nutritious

and nourishing food for ornamental fish.Carnivorous will greedily devour them when they are

offered and the fish grow faster and early gonodal maturity occurs.

They produce blood in the fish body.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:Crued protein-60-65%Crude fat-8-9%Crude fribre-4-5%Carotinoid pigmentVitamine-A,C,&DMicronutrientsIt produced colour of ornamental fish.It is very tasty and nutrition for fish fry as well as adult.

1. The “eggs” occur in a dry dormant state (cysts) and can be stored for many years. Appropriately packed, they can be sent all over the world.

2. From the cysts, live larvae, i.e. nauplii are easily and quickly obtained by putting them in seawater (hatching). Thus, no separate culturing tanks are needed to obtain large quantities of live food.

3. The nauplii survive and remain active in water of different salinities. Even when put in freshwater, mortality only occurs after 2–3 hours.

4. The nauplii have a very high protein content (up to 40%), which makes them an excellent food. Freshly hatched nauplii (Instar I - first larval stage) have a higher nutritional value than 2 or 3 days old nauplii.

ENHANCEMENT OF LIVE FOOD We can not found all the nutrients in one life food. So during

the culture time we enrich the food by adding the lacking nutrients . This process is called enhancement of live food.

After this process it is totally complete in nutrition and ready for feeding.

For example- during daphnia culture time vitamins are added in the culture media.

Enrichment of Moina can be carried out using the direct method, by culturing them on baker’s yeast and emulsified fish or cuttlefish liver oils. For enrich the (n-3) HUFA .

From the above discussion we found that live food contain all the essential nutrients which enhances the breeding efficiency and excellent growth of fish. So the live feed is considered as “l iving nutrit ious capsule”.

The earlier stages of fish and shellfish are known to feed on the protein rich plankton. It are also easily available in our surrounding environment. It content most of all and high nutrient. So this live food are very important in good types of fish culture.