FISH FARMING WASTE UTILIZATON FOR INCREASING SLUDGE WORM (Tubifex sp.) BIOMASS GROWTH

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peningkatan biomassa cacing sutra yang dikultur menggunakan limbah budidaya ikan lele, mas, dan nila, serta menghitung kemampuan cacing sutra untuk mereduksibahan organik di air. Pemeliharaan cacing sutra dilaksanakan di kolam pemeliharaan ikan di Desa Sokong, Kecamatan Tanjung,Kabupaten Lombok Utara  sedangkan analisa kualitas air dilakukan di Laboratorium Budidaya Perairan Universitas Mataram.  Penelitian menggunakan metode eksperimental dengan Rancangan Acak Lengkap dengan 3 perlakuan media yaitu feses ikan lele, feses ikan mas, dan feses ikan nila dengan biomassa cacing sutra tertinggi diperoleh pada penggunaan feses ikan lele yaitu 712,7 g/m2. Cacing sutra memiliki kemampuan untuk mereduksi TOM dan NH­3 di air. Hal terlihat dari adanya penurunan selisih konsentrasi TOM dan NH­3­ pada air yang digunakan sebelum dan selama pemeliharaan cacing sutra berlangsung.The aims of the research were to evaluate the biomass growth of sludge worms (Tubifex sp.) which were cultivated by using waste from fish rearing and to calculate the ability of sludge worm to reduce total organic matter (TOM). The worms were cultivated in private fish rearing facility in Sokong, District of Tanjung, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. The experiment was conducted by using Completely Randomized Design. The wastes, which were tested, were feces of catfish, carp, and tilapia with three replications.  The result showed that biomass of sludge worms cultivating in catfish waste media reached the peak on the 45th day, while in carp and tilapia waste media, the biomass peaks were resulted on the 60th day. The highest biomass of sludge worms was obtained from cultivation in catfish waste media by 712,7 g/m2. In addtion, the sludge worms had ability to reduce TOM and NH3 in water. It was proved by the reduction of TOM and NH3 concentration ­in the water used in rearing the worms