Time of feed transition and inclusion levels of exogenous protease in rations for piabanha-do-Pardo Brycon sp. hatchery

two experiments were conducted which consisted of determining the ideal time to make a feed transition from larvae of 'curimba' prochilodus hartii to ration (from third, fifth and seventh days of life, with three days of co-feeding), and assess inclusion levels of exogenous protease (0, 0.02 and 0.2%) in the diet of larvae of piabanha-do-pardo brycon sp., in a completely randomized experimental design and duration of 15 and 17 days, respectively. biomass, survival, total length, weight and specific growth rate were measured at the end of the experiments. water quality parameters were measured every three days. the different transition periods and levels of exogenous protease did not affect water quality. the animals subjected to feed transition on the seventh day of life showed better results for length (23.1 mm), weight (110.9 mg) and sgr (25.5%), being similar in biomass and survival at the fifth day of life. therefore, the transition can be made on the fifth day of life. the inclusion levels of exogenous protease in the commercial diet had no effect on performance.