The experiment tested three formulated dry diets at 25°C to determine their effects on larval Barbus barbus (L.) body mineral composition, growth, and survival. Live Artemia nauplii were fed to all the larvae for the first 5 days of the experiment. From day 6 to day 25 inclusive, nauplii were the reference diet in one group, whereas the three other groups were fed dry diets exclusively. On D1 the fish body comprised 6.71% ash, 1.20% P, 0.35% Ca, and 0.09% Mg (dry matter), but initial feeding with nauplii resulted in increased values of all these components. The highest statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) final body ash and mineral content was recorded for larvae fed nauplii (ash 13.22%; P 2.04%; Ca 2.95% and Mg 0.15%; d.m.). Fish fed nauplii grew faster than those fed dry diets (final mean BW 214.5 mg and 84.3-118.9 mg, respectively; all differences significant), and their final survival rate was also significantly the highest (99.9% and 96.5-99.4%, respectively). As evidenced by the current results, even short-term (20 days) feeding exclusively dry formulated diets can lead to considerable deficiencies in essential minerals in the larval body.
