80:6 (2018) 159–167 | www.jurnalteknologi.utm.my | eISSN 2180–3722 | Jurnal Teknologi Full Paper MATHEMATICAL MODELLING FOR FISH FEED FORMULATION OF MYSTUS NEMURUS SP. CATFISH: OPTIMIZING GROWTH AND NUTRIENTS REQUIREMENTS Nur Aidya Hanum Aizam a , Rabiatul Adawiyah Ibrahim a , Raphael Lee Kuok Lung a , Pang Yen Ling a , Aidilla Mubarak b a School of Informatics and Applied Mathematics, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia b School of Food Science & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia Article history Received 11 February 2018 Received in revised form 14 May 2018 Accepted 15 July 2018 Published online 5 October 2018 *Corresponding author aidya@umt.edu.my Graphical abstract Abstract This study integrates mathematical model in the plan of producing a fish feed formulation by reducing the total cost without neglecting the nutrient requirements. This study focuses on producing the perfect combination of fish feed for Mystus nemurus sp. catfish in different stages of life. The mathematical model developed will consider their required nutrients in each stage, the cost of each ingredient and the amount of nutrients to be consumed (nutrient composition of fish feed ingredients). This research employs AIMMS mathematical software to assist with the computation. The results from this study obtain a much better combination of different ingredients compared to available commercial pellets in terms of nutrient composition and production cost. The combinations yield much cheaper costs yet boosts up the nutrient consumptions, which is an eye-opener for independent local fish farmers. Thorough discussion on utilizing the results with future research directions will also be included. Keywords: Mathematical modelling, AIMMS mathematical software, Mystus nemurus sp. Catfish, fish feed formulation Abstrak Kajian ini menggunakan pemodelan matematik dalam perancangan penghasilan formulasi makanan ikan dengan pengurangan jumlah kos keseluruhan tanpa mengabaikan keperluan nutrien. Kajian ini bertumpu kepada penghasilan kombinasi makanan yang terbaik bagi Mystus nemurus sp. (ikan keli) dalam kitaran hidup yang berbeza. Pemodelan matematik yang dibina ini mengambil kira keperluan nutrien dalam setiap kitaran hidup, kos bagi setiap ramuan yang digunakan dan kuantiti nutrien yang diambil (komposisi nutrien di dalam setiap ramuan). Perisian matematik AIMMS digunakan bagi membantu dalam proses pengiraan ini. Hasil kajian ini mendapati suatu kombinasi dengan pelbagai ramuan makanan yang lebih baik berbanding pelet komersial di pasaran dari segi komposisi nutrien dan kos penghasilannya. Kombinasi ini memberikan kos yang jauh lebih rendah di samping meningkatkan pengambilan nutrien yang dapat membuka peluang kepada penternak ikan tempatan. Penggunaan hasil kajian ini untuk kajian akan datang juga dibincangkan secara terperinci. Kata kunci: Pemodelan matematik, perisian matematik AIMMS, Mystus nemurus sp. (ikan keli), formulasi makanan ikan © 2018 Penerbit UTM Press. All rights reserved