Nutritional Retention in Frozen Tubifex (Tubifex tubifex) Stored at −20°C: A Comparative Analysis of Storage Durations up to 12 Weeks

Abstract

The utilization of live Tubifex (Tubifex tubifex) as a feed source in ornamental fish aquaculture is widely recognized for its high nutritional value. However, feeding live tubifex worms come with a higher risk of transmitting parasites, and precautions must be taken. So, necessitate feeding strategies have to be adopted which includes dietary diversification such as usage of tubifex in frozen form. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional stability of frozen Tubifex over a 12-week period (85 days), stored at −20°C. Weekly evaluations were conducted to measure changes in key nutritional parameters, including crude protein, moisture, lipid, and ash content. The results indicated that crude protein content remained stable (p > 0.05) for the first 5 weeks, while lipid content showed no significant changes (p > 0.05) until the seventh week. Additionally, ash content was stable (p > 0.05) until the ninth week of storage. These findings suggest that frozen Tubifex can be safely stored for up to 36 days without significant nutritional degradation, offering a viable alternative to live feed in ornamental fish aquaculture this research supports the use of frozen Tubifex by mitigating the risks associated with live feed while ensuring optimal nutritional delivery to aquatic organisms.