Review scope

This summary is based on the published abstract. We have not appraised the full methods, tables or supplementary material. Details absent from the abstract remain unverified.

Question and design

56 male betta fingerlings, individually housed, over 30 days. Four digestible-protein levels from 28% to 49%, at two energy levels. Comparator: Alternative protein and energy combinations.

What was measured?

Weight gain, feed intake, conversion, protein efficiency and growth rate.

Main findings

Weight gain, feed conversion and specific growth rate did not differ significantly. Feed intake and protein efficiency varied across diets.

Study strengths

Randomised factorial design with individual fish as experimental units.

Limitations

Short, male-only juvenile study. Digestible nutrient specifications cannot be read directly from crude-protein labels.

Researchers’ conclusion

The authors favoured the lowest tested protein and energy combination under these conditions.

Evidence.pet interpretation

The study does not define a lifelong optimum for all bettas and cannot be applied to goldfish.

Funding and conflicts

Not verified from the abstract; full declarations have not been reviewed.

Source and review date

Lemos MVA et al. Effects of digestible protein to energy ratios on growth and carcass chemical composition of siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). Ciência e Agrotecnologia. 2014;38(1).

Read the primary source · DOI record

STU-044. Reviewed 25 September 2026. Next review 25 December 2026.