<![CDATA[The nutritional limitations and low digestibility of conventional feed ingredients can restrict the growth, feed efficiency, survival, and health of striped snakehead. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of microbial fermentation in improving feed quality and production performance and to identify the most effective microorganism and fermentation duration. A completely randomized design was applied using five dietary treatments: nonfermented feed, EM4-fermented feed for five and seven days, and Bacillus spp.-fermented feed for five and seven days. Each treatment consisted of four replicates, resulting in 20 experimental units. Juvenile striped snakehead were reared for 56 days under controlled conditions. Feed quality was evaluated through proximate composition and protein digestibility, while biological responses were assessed using average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, survival rate, and hematological indicators. The findings demonstrated that microbial fermentation increased crude protein, reduced crude fiber, and improved protein digestibility. Fermented diets also enhanced growth, feed efficiency, survival, and physiological health compared with nonfermented feed. The seven-day Bacillus spp. treatment produced the most favorable nutritional and biological responses. These findings indicate that microbial fermentation represents a promising strategy for improving striped snakehead feed and supporting sustainable aquaculture. Standardized fermentation procedures and larger commercial trials are required before extensive application.]]>
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