Use of Soybean Meal Supplemented with Cell Bound Phytase for Replacement of Fish Meal in the Diet of Juvenile Milkfish, Chanos chanos

This study was designed to determine the influence of cell bound phytase supplemented in soybean meal on growth and survival of juvenile milkfish Chanos chanos. Four diets were formulated with different levels of fish meal, soybean meal and phytase. The first diet (control) (F) contains 61.35% of fish meal. The fish meal was replaced by the same level of soybean meal in the second (S), third (SP500) and fourth (SP1000) diets, however, SP500 and SP1000 were supplemented with 500 and 1000 phytase activity units (FTU) kg-1, respectively. The replacement of fish meal by soybean meal, with out phytase supplementation reduced weight gain, specific growth rate and crude protein content in the milkfish. The growth performance in fish fed diet SP1000 was as good as those fed diet F. Results indicated that soybean meal supplemented with 1000 FTU kg-1 phytase can be used for the mass culture of milkfish.