Indonesia Conference Directory

In fish aquaculture, feed cost has the highest share in the total cost during the production period. The increase in the prices of fishmeal and high cost of industrial fish feed have prompted the search for alternative to commercial feeds. Some research looking for farm-made feed that spending less money on operating costs and easy to apply method. This farm-made fish feed using simple equipment, locally available material, and inexpensive bio-floating agents. This innovation will decrease operating costs and increased profit since fish farmers can make fish feed by themselves. Black soldier fly larvae meal, produced from the larvae of insect Hermetia illucens, has shown promise as a fish meal replacement in diets for fish. Insects has good nutritional value, cheap to produce, and has no conflict with human consumption. In this research, Rhizopus oryzae used as bio-floating agent on the fish feed. Rhizopus oryzae could give certain physical and chemical properties on fish feed such as floating ability, water stability, and also nutritional content due to its metabolic activity. This research is aimed to obtain the optimal fermentation period and inoculum dosage to improve physical characteristic and nutritional value of fish feed. The results showed that fermented floating feeds gained better physical characteristic and nutritional value (p<0.05). Thus, using Black soldier larvae meal might be a feasible alternative protein source for replacement of fish meal. Rhizopus oryzae fermentation also has a potential to be further developed as bio-floating agent and increase nutritional value of fish feed.