Larviculture of piabanha-do-pardo in aquariums of different colors

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different colors of aquariums on the larviculture of piabanha-do-pardo (Brycon sp.). The treatments consisted of the use of light- (white, green, and blue) and dark- (brown and black) colored aquariums. At the end of the experiment, survival, weight, total length, and color of the larvae were measured and compared by the Tukey test, at 5% probability. Survival was lower (66.25%), with a higher rate of cannibalism (17.08%), in the blue-colored aquarium when compared to the brown-colored one (84.17%), with a low rate of cannibalism (6.25%). Total length, weight, and mortality did not differ among treatments. The color of the larvae gradually darkened from the lighter to the darker aquariums, which interfered with cannibalism and survival. The brown aquarium promotes a greater survival value and a lower rate of cannibalism in larvae of piabanha-do-pardo.