ISSN: 1412-5269 EISSN: 2354-6700 Akuakultur Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 55Ae69 . Vol. 25 No. January 2026 Indonesia DOI: 10. 19027/jai. Jurnal Replacing silkworms Tubifex sp. with fermented paste feed enriched with curcumin on Asian redtail catfish Hemibagrus nemurus larvae growth Penggantian cacing sutera dengan pakan pasta terfermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumin terhadap pertumbuhan postlarva ikan baung Hemibagrus nemurus Benny Heltonika1*. Netti Aryani1. Nur Asiah1. Indra Lesmana1. Nuraini Nuraini1. Firman Theodali Harefa2 Department of Aquaculture. Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science. Pekanbaru. Riau. Riau University. Indonesia Student of Aquaculture Department. Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science. Pekanbaru. Riau. Riau University. Indonesia *Corresponding author: benny. heltonika@lecturer. (Received November 22, 2024. Revised February 14, 2025. Accepted August 28, 2. ABSTRACT To maintain growth and survival. Asian redtail catfish postlarvae require silkworms as live food. However, due to their extreme sensitivity to natural conditions, silkworms will be exceedingly scarce during the rainy season. This study aimed to evaluate fermented commercial feed enriched with curcuminas replacement of silkworms for the growth and survival of redtail catfish postlarvae. This study employed a complete design experiment consisting of six treatments: P1 . on-fermented commercial fee. P2 . o curcumin-enriched fermented commercial fee. P3 . urcumin-enriched fermented commercial feed at 0. 35 g/k. P4 . urcumin-enriched fermented commercial feed at 70 g/k. P5 . urcumin-enriched fermented commercial feed at 1. 05 g/k. , and P6 . Each treatment was replicated four times. The Asian red tail catfish postlarvae, measuring 0. 63 A 0. 05 mm in length, were cultivated at a density of 5 fish/L. Fish were raised for a period of thirty days. Growth in total weight, total length, specific weight rate, specific length rate, and survival rate of postlarvae were the parameters measured. The growth evaluation results indicate that substituting silkworm feed with fermented feed supplemented with curcumin at a concentration of 1. g/kg resulted in growth of 6. 66% . 29% . lower than the silkworm treatment (P<0. Despite this decline, it represents the most effective outcome in this study, highlighting the potential of fermented feed where enrichment with curcumin as an alternative to silkworms for Asian redtail catfish larvae nutrition. In conclusion, curcumin-enriched fermented feed can promote the growth of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae. Keywords: curcumin, fermented feed, silkworm, growth ABSTRAK Untuk mempertahankan pertumbuhan dan kelangsungan hidup, postlarva ikan baung membutuhkan cacing sutra sebagai makanan hidup. Namun, cacing sutera sangat sensitivitas terhadap kondisi alam, cacing sutra akan sangat langka selama musim penghujan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi pakan komersial terfermentasi yang di perkarya kurkumin. Penelitian ini merupakan eksperimen dengan acak lengkap satu faktor yang terdiri dari enam perlakuan: yaitu P1 (Pakan komersial non-fermentas. P2 . akan komersial fermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumi. P3 . akan komersial fermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumin pada 0,35 g/k. P4 . akan komersial fermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumin pada 0,70 g/k. P5 . akan komersial fermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumin pada 1,05 g/k. , dan P6 . acing sutr. Setiap perlakuan diulang empat kali. Postlarva ikan baung, berukuran panjang 0,63 A 0,05 mm, dibudidayakan pada kepadatan 5 ekor/L. Ikan dipelihara selama tiga puluh hari. Parameter yang diukur dalam penelitian ini adalah pertumbuhan berat total, panjang total, rata-rata pertumbuhan bobot, dan panjang spesifik serta Berdasarkan hasil evaluasi pertumbuhan menunjukkan pergantian pakan cacing sutera dengan pakan fermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumin 1,05 g/kg pakan menghasilkan pertumbuhan 6,66 % . dan 14,29% . lebih rendah dari perlakuan cacing sutra (P<0,. , dan ini melrupakan hasil terbaik dari penelitian ini dalam upaya mencari pengganti pakan alternatif cacing sutera untuk postlarva ikan baung. Sebagai kesimpulan, pakan pasta terfermentasi yang diperkaya kurkumin dapat meningkatkan perkembangan postlarva ikan baung. Kata kunci: kurkumin, pakan terfermentasi, cacing sutera, pertumbuhan Copyright . 2026 @author. Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . INTRODUCTION The success of Asian redtail catfish cultivation is greatly influenced by the results of the Asian redtail catfish hatchery both in terms of quality and quantity of postlarvae. Several studies have revealed that the optimal initial feed for the growth of Asian redtail catfish was silkworm (Tubifida. (Heltonika & Karsih, 2017. Syafitra et al. , 2018. Mudlofdar et al. , 2021. Sukmawati et al. , 2022. Cahyanurani et al. , 2. However, insights gathered from interviews and observations with fish breeders and silkworm suppliers indicate that the accessibility of silkworms is contingent upon natural circumstances. Specifically, their availability becomes more restricted during the rainy season. Therefore, it is necessary to try alternative feed to replace silkworms as Asian redtail catfish larvae feed. Heltonika et al. state that fermented commercial feed . % protei. could replace 70% of silkworms in terms of growth and survival of Asian redtail catfish. Therefore, studies are needed to improve the performance of fermented feed as a substitute of silkworms for Asian redtail catfish larvae. Potential strategies for optimizing the utilization of fermented commercial feed for Asia redtail catfish postlarvae include augmenting the protein content and incorporating natural constituents that promote feed utilization, such as Enrichment of curcumin in silkworms promotes the development of climbing perch larvae (Heltonika et al. , 2. Similarly. Hasby et al. find that enriching silkworms with turmeric flour high in curcumin could enhance the growth of Asian redtail catfish larvae. addition, curcumin administration has been found to enhance immunity in juvenile Wuchang bream (Xia et al. , 2. through the mitigation of stressinduced effects (Akdemir et al. , 2. The inclusion of curcumin in commercial diet has been found to enhance the survival and growth of Asian redtail catfish seeds measuring 5 cm in length (Heltonika, 2. In this study, fermented feed was supplemented with varying amounts of This study aimed to assess the impact of fermented feed enhanced with curcumin on the growth performance of Asian redtail catfish. MATERIALS AND METHODS Research time and place This study was conducted from August to September 2023. Spawning, larval rearing, and parameter analysis were carried out in the Fish Breeding and Hatchery Laboratory of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science. University of Riau. Experimental design This study was conducted using a complete design experiment with six treatments and four replications of each treatment. The treatments in this study were feeding Asian redtail catfish larvae with different feed specification, i. P1 . ommercial feed, non-fermented past. P2 . ommercial fermented paste feed without curcumin enrichmen. P3 . ommercial fermented paste feed, enriched with 0. 35 g curcumin/kg fee. P4 . urcumin enrichment of commercial fermented paste feed at 0. 70 g/kg fee. P5 . urcumin enrichment of commercial fermented paste feed at 1. 05 g/kg fee. P6 . Research procedure Postlarvae and feed preparation Postlarvae of Asian redtail catfish was obtained from hatchery, from one to three days after hatched, postlarvae rared in hatching incubation. When the postlarvae were four days after hatched, they were ready to be transferred into research The fermented feed used commercial feed paste with 38%, to made fermented feed, 6 mL of EM4 product fermenter (Laheng et , 2020. Heltonika et al. , 2022. Contain of EM4 are Lactic Acid Bacteria Lactobacillus sp. Photosynthetic Bacteria Rhodopseudomonas . Actinomycetes sp. Streptomyces sp. , as well as yeast and cellulose decomposing fungi (Telaumbanua et al. , 2. and then activated of EM4 by mixing 6 mL of sweetened milk evenly and 60 mL of distilled water for 24 hours. After 24 hours taken 10 mL/kg fermentor was added of feed, and water was added to the dough until it did not break when held. The feed was then placed in a jar and firmly closed for two days until it smelled of fermentation, this indicates that the fermentation process was successful. Fermented feed can be added with curcumin according to the specified The fermented feed was then maintained in the refrigerator during the research to maintain the feedAos quality (Heltonika et al. , 2022. The results of proximate analysis, amino acid, and fatty acid composition in commercial feed material prior to and subsequent to fermentation are as follows (Table . In contrast, the proximate analysis of silkworms pertains to the findings of Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Herawati et al. concerning the control Fermented commercial feed exhibited a rise in crude protein content and relatively stable fat content, but a decline in crude fiber and carbohydrate content when compared to commercial feed that is not fermented. The results of amino acid and fatty acid of fermented and non-fermented feed presented in Table 2, indicate that fermentation led to an increase in the concentrations of nearly all amino acids. These amino acids include lysine, cysteine, glutamic acid, serine, glycine, histidine, arginine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, methionine, and aspartic acid. However, subsequent to fermentation, only Threonine Conversely, the concentrations of virtually all fatty acids, including capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, oleic, and linolenic decreased. It was only linoleic and stearic fatty acids that encountered an increase. The results of physical observations of feed after and before fermentation are presented in Table 3. The structure of fermented feed undergoes a transformation, becoming physically Table 1. Nutrient content of fermented paste, non-fermented commercial feed paste, and silkworms. Crude Proteins (%) Crude fat (%) Carbohydrate (%) Crude Fiber (%) Ash (%) Commercial Feed before Commercial Feed after Silkworms (Herawati et al. , 2. Composition Table 2. Amino acid and fatty acid content on fermented and non-fermented commercial feed. Amino acid Non-fermented feed (%) Fermented feed (%) Fatty acids Non-fermented feed (%) Fermented feed (%) Aspartic Acid Capric Glutamic Acid Lauric Serine Myristic Glycine Palmitic Histidine Stearic Arginin Oleic Threonine Linoleic Alanine Linolenic Proline Tyrosine Valine Methionine Cysteine Isoleucine Leucine Phenylalanine Lysine Note: Ni (Not Identifie. Table 3. Physical form and smell of feed paste. Treatment Structure Fragrance Fermented Feed Feels very soft and smooth Scented sour Non-fermented Feed Feels rough Smells fishy Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . gentler and smoother, whereas the structure of non-fermented feed undergoes a transformation, becoming physically coarser. The odor that results from the fermentation process becomes sour. The specific growth rate was calculated by this formula (Akbarurrasyid et al. , 2. Experimental procedure Asian redtail catfish postlarvae, with a length 63 A 0. 05 mm and weight of 0. 0023 A 0. g were cultivated in 24 aquariums where size each them was 40y25y35 cm3, water volume was 20 L/ aquarium than aeration added to each aquarium. The stocking density of postlarvae was 5 L. The feeding during the experiment was carried out with a satiation method, with a frequency of four times per day. The experiment was done for thirty days. Taking samples of postlarvae to measure length and weight, 30 fish were taken per container at each sampling. To water maintenance from feces and residual feed is vacuumed daily, and water is changed by 10Ae30% each morning. Water quality monitoring . emperature, pH. DO) are measured every three days. Note: SGR Observation parameters In evaluating this experiment were utilized growth in total weight, total length, specific growth rate, and survival rate. Weight and length data were measured at the start and final of the Total weight was calculated to determine the total weight gain of fish during rearing with this formula: Note: = Absolute weight . = Average weight at the end of the study . = Average weight at the start of the study . The total length growth was calculated to determine the increase in fish length during rearing with this formula: Note: = Absolute length growth = Final average length = Initial average length = Specific growth rate (%/da. = Average fish weight over time . = Mean weight of fish at the beginning of rearing . = Length of experiment . The specific length rate was calculated by this formula (Akbarurrasyid et al. , 2. Note: SLR = Specific length rate (%/da. = Average length of fish at time . = Average length of fish at the beginning of rearing . = Length of experiment . The ability of feed to replace silkworms in weight growth (RW) is determined by the formula (Heltonika et al. , 2023. The ability of feed to replace silkworms in length growth (RL) is determined by the formula (Heltonika et al. , 2023. The number of opportunities for fish to survive after 30 days of rearing is referred to as survival. The survival was calculated using the formula: Dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH measurements of rearing water were conducted at seven-day intervals, whereas temperature assessments Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . were conducted daily on each rearing medium. Dissolved oxygen concentration was measured using DO meter, pH was assessed employing a pH meter, and temperature in each tank was monitored using a thermometer. Data analysis The analysis of the data of growth in total weight, total length, specific growth rate, and survival rate used analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted utilizing the SPSS program, with a 99% confidence interval. DuncanAos further test was conducted if the results of the analysis of variance were significantly different. The value of RW. RL, and water quality is only described according to the results obtained. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results The measurement results of test parameters for treatments using fermented feed enriched with curcumin on the growth performance of Asian redtail catfish (Hemibagrus nemuru. postlarvae are presented in Table 4. The findings presented in Table 4 indicate that the absolute weight growth values vary from 0. 18 A 0. 01 to 15 A 0. 01 g, the specific weight growth values span from 14. 56 A 0. 02 to 16. 77 A 0. 11%, and the absolute length growth values range from 1. 01 to 3. 00 A 0. 03 cm. The specific length growth values range from 3. 90 A 0. 02 to 5. 86 A 0. Notably, silkworms exhibited the highest growth rate, while unfermented control (P<0. resulted in the lowest growth rates. The ability of feed to replace silkworms in weight growth (RW) and length growth (RL) ranges from 51. 43 to 85. 33 to 97. 33%, respectively. The weight growth pattern of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae at a rate of 10 days is illustrated in Figure 1. The graphic pattern indicates that the weight growth of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae has varied from day one to day thirty, with no discernible variation during the initial ten days. Postlarvae that were fed silkworms continued to yield consistently higher body weight values. The weight performance of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae is enhanced when fed fermented feed as opposed to unfermented feed, as shown in Table 5 and Figure 1. Additionally, the weight growth of these fish is positively impacted by the administration of curcumin. Curcumin added to fermented feed increases weight gain of fish, where treatment P6 . is the best The above pattern of values was also consistent with the specific growth rate (P<0. Based on the comparison of weight growth values, it is known that the ability of P5 (Fermented Commercial Feed Curcumin Enrichment Paste 05 g/kg fee. in replacing P6 . is 71% and is the best treatment when compared with other treatments . reatments P1 to P. The growth pattern of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae in terms of length per 10 days is also illustrated in Figure 2. The graphic pattern illustrates a discernible variation in the length development of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae from day one to day thirty, which has persisted since the initial ten days. In certain environments, silkworm-fed larvae continue to exhibit the greatest body length In contrast to unfermented feed, fermented feed promotes greater length development in Asian redtail catfish postlarvae, as shown in Table 5 and Figure 2. Furthermore, the administration Table 4. The effect of fermented feed enriched with curcumin on the growth of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae (Hemibagrus nemuru. Treatments Absolute weight Specific weight Absolute length Specific length RW (%) growth (%/da. growth (%/da. RL (%) 18 A 0. 56 A 0. 39 A 0. 90 A 0. 21 A 0. 10 A 0. 94 A 0. 71 A 0. 24 A 0. 45 A 0. 16 A 0. 98 A 0. 28 A 0. 05 A 0. 80 A 0. 67 A 0. 30 A 0. 22 A 0. 92 A 0. 78 A 0. 35 A 0. 77 A 0. 00 A 0. 86 A 0. Note: RW . reatment provided with food is able to replace the weight growth of silkworm. RL . reatment provided with food is able to replace the growth in length of silkworm. Different superscripts in the same column indicate significant differences (P<0. Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . of curcumin has been observed to have a positive impact on this parameter, where treatment P6 . is the best treatment. Discussion According to the findings of this study, fermented paste feed can enhance the growth of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae in terms of weight growth, length growth, specific weight growth, and specific length growth (P<0. Fish growth can be stimulated by the byproducts of fermentation (Aliyu-A et al. , 2019. Anis & Hariani, 2019. Laheng et al. , 2020. Kinayungan & Helmiati, 2021. Siagian et al. , 2. Complex organic molecules are broken down into simpler ones via the fermentation process, which is carried out by microorganisms (Danu et al. Sharma et al. , 2020. Maicas, 2. increase in protein value and a reduction in crude fiber provide support for this. While this protein increase contradicts the findings of Heltonika et . , whose research focused on fermenting feed and observed a decline in protein content subsequent to fermentation, crude fiber content also decreased, which aligns with the results of the present study that similarly reported improved growth values. Different varieties of fermenters were utilized. in this study, the EM4 fermenter was applied to livestock, whereas Heltonika et al. applied the same method to agriculture. Variations in the feedAos amino acid and fatty acid content have an impact on the growth performance enhancement of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae that are fed fermented paste. Additionally, the fishAos preference and behavior regarding feed are impacted by physical changes in the feed. This impacts the fishAos digestive capacity and contributes to the reduction of antinutrients Figure 1. Weight growth pattern of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae per 10 days. Figure 2. Length growth pattern of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae per 10 days. Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . and increase in feed nutritional value through In addition to increasing the nutrient content of feed and decreasing the concentration of antinutrients (Sharawy et al. , 2016. Dawood & Koshio, 2. , fermentation can also enhance the preferential behavior of fish towards particular foods (Zhuo et al. , 2021. Heltonika et al. , 2. Curcumin plays an essential role, as indicated by the growth performance value of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae (Table . The addition of curcumin to the regimen resulted in significant improvements in both weight and length of growth (P<0. Curcumin has been shown to enhance fish growth (Heltonika et al. , 2016. Hasby et al. Heltonika, 2. by bolstering the immune system (Xia et al. , 2015. Akdemir et al. , 2. This is attributed to curcuminAos antioxidant properties, as documented by Manju et al. and Setyowati and Suryani . Antioxidants are essential for the functions of the body that mitigate the damage caused by free Another mechanism by which curcumin facilitates growth is by enhancing the function of the liver and biliary system. Curcumin has been shown to improve and boost liver function (Dewi et al. , 2. , as well as secrete bile into the small intestine by activating the gallbladder wall, resulting in increased and effective digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates (Pujianti et , 2013. Nova et al. , 2. Curcumin has a strong ability to bind to estrogen receptor (Kim & Park, 2012. Lecomte et al. , 2. and raising the activity of the estradiol receptor has a good effect on growth (Lecomte et al. , 2. The effect of curcumin to promoting growth related to the improvement of digestive enzymes activities (Jiang et al. , 2. and immunity (Ming et al. , 2020. Li et al. , 2. Curcumin enhances muscle function and possesses anti-inflammatory properties (Nanavati et al. , 2. , so this causes the fish become healthier and more resilient. Hafez et al. revealed that administration of curcumin increased growth under stressful Additionally, providing curcumin in optimal amounts can help reduce the activity of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines (Ashry et al. Certainly, the proper dosage of curcumin is an important factor that must be considered (Nanavati et al. , 2022. Eissa et al. , 2. Based on the results of measuring the survival of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae (Figure . P6 . is still the best in providing survival, followed by P5 (Commercial fermented feed paste enriched with curcumin 1. 05 g/kg fee. Furthermore, the lowest survival was obtained in treatment P1 (Commercial non-feed paste fermentatio. (P<0. Based on survival data, it can be seen that fermented feed does not have a significant influence on survival with nonfermented commercial feed. This can be seen from the survival values in treatments P1 and P2. However, the administration of curcumin had a positive impact on increasing the post-larval survival value of Asian redtail catfish. This can be seen from treatments P3 to P4 (P<0. Based on the survival rate, it appears that feeding fermented paste has no effect on the survival rate of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae. Figure 3. Survival Rate of Asian redtail catfish postlarvae. Different superscripts in value of the graphic bars indicate significant differences (P<0. Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Benny Heltonika et al. / Jurnal Akuakultur Indonesia 25 . , 81Ae91 . Curcumin, on the other hand, had a significant effect on survival rate (P<0. Providing turmeric flour containing curcumin can improve fish survival (Muchdar & Juharni, 2016. Alfaragi & Hassan, 2017. Heltonika, 2022. Siagian & Heltonika, 2. Based on observations made, many deaths of postlarvae of Asian redtail catfish were found due to cannibalism. Based on several studies, it is stated that Asian redtail catfish have cannibalistic behavior (Heltonika et al. , 2017. Heltonika et al. , 2021. Heltonika, 2022. Heltonika et al. , 2022a. Heltonika et al. , 2022b. Heltonika et , 2022c. Heltonika et al. , 2023a. Heltonika et , 2023. The water quality in the rearing medium throughout the study remained within the acceptable limits for Asian redtail catfish. The temperature range was 26. 8 to 29. 3AC, the pH range was 5. 7 to 6. 6 ppm, and the DO range was from 5. 2 to 7. 5 ppm, as indicated in Table In contrast to the rearing conditions observed for Asian redtail catfish postlarvae (Heltonika et , 2022. , these conditions exhibited minimal variation, ranging from 27 to 29 degrees Celsius, pH to 6. 5, and DO to 7. 5 parts per million. stated by Yudha et al. , the water quality parameters that are suitable for the cultivation of Asian redtail catfish encompass a range of 2730AC temperature, 5. 0 pH, and 5. 0 ppm dissolved oxygen. CONCLUSION The growth evaluation results indicate that substituting silkworm feed with fermented feed supplemented with curcumin at a concentration 05 g/kg resulted in growth of 6. 66% . 29% . lower than the silkworm Despite this decline, it represents the most effective outcome in this study, highlighting the potential of fermented feed where enrichment with curcumin is an alternative to silkworms for Asian redtail catfish larvae nutrition. conclusion, curcumin-enriched fermented feed can promote the growth of Asian redtail catfish Then, the application of curcumin on fermented feed effectively enhanced the survival value of the Asian redtail catfish. Further research is required to determine the optimal level of curcumin enrichment in commercial fermented paste feed for Asian redtail catfish postlarvae. Based on the findings of this study, the higher enrichment fed with curcumin . 05 g/kg fe. is the best performance to be alternative fed to change silkworm. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to the Chancellor of the University of Riau and the Institute for Research and Community Service of University of Riau, have funded this research through DIPA funds at the University of Riau with a research scheme in the field of science with contract number Contract Number: 8217/UN19. 3/AL. 04/2023 REFERENCES