Colouration is one of the major factors deciding the market value of the ornamental fishes. In captive conditions the fishes show fade colouration and fail to get attracted by the buyers. To overcome the problem we have planned an experiment with the cheap pigmenting source namely the marigold petal meal. The results are encouraging so that marigold petal meal could be used as a pigmenting source at a concentration of 15g / 100g feed of dry weight. Leaching of pigmenting source is also a problem. Hence, experiment was conducted with marigold petal enriched gelatin based diet. From the present investigation, it is considered that a gelatin based diet enriched with both marigold petal powder and protein ingredients might give a better result of growth and pigmentation.

Colouration is one of the major factors deciding the market value of the ornamental fishes. In captive conditions the fishes show fade colouration and fail to get attracted by the buyers. To overcome the problem we have planned an experiment with the cheap pigmenting source namely the marigold petal meal. The results are encouraging so that marigold petal meal could be used as a pigmenting source at a concentration of 15g / 100g feed of dry weight. Leaching of pigmenting source is also a problem. Hence, experiment was conducted with marigold petal enriched gelatin based diet. From the present investigation, it is considered that a gelatin based diet enriched with both marigold petal powder and protein ingredients might give a better result of growth and pigmentation.