EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ACTIVATED CHARCOAL ON THE SURVIVAL OF GET EXCEL TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus) FINGERLINGS DURING TRANSPORTATION

Abstract

High mortality during transport remains a major constraint in the Philippine tilapia industry, particularly for GET EXCEL tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Despite existing studies on transport stress, there is limited research on cost-effective water treatments like activated charcoal (AC) for improving survival during prolonged transport. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying levels of AC (4g, 8g, and 12g per 5L water) on fingerlings survival during 12-hour simulated transportation using a mixed-method design. A completely randomized design with three replicates per treatment was used. Water quality parameters (temperature, DO, pH, CO₂, ammonia), survival rate, and behavior were observed, alongside a cost-benefit analysis. The 4g AC/5L of water treatment significantly improved survival (81.5 lower mortality vs. control), maintained better water quality (e.g., DO: 5.88 mg/L), and showed the best cost-efficiency. Higher AC doses had diminishing benefits. The control group experienced high mortality (24.4%) and poor water quality. These findings suggest that low-dose AC is a practical, low-cost solution to enhance survival and water quality during transport. Adopting 4g of activated charcoal per 5L of transport water is recommended as a cost-effective strategy to enhance fingerling survival and water quality, advancing resource-efficient and sustainable aquaculture in line with SDGs 2 and 12.