Giving certain fish extra potassium and taurine in their food might help them handle salty water better by reducing stress in their gills and liver.

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Taurine and/or inorganic potassium as dietary osmolyte counter the stress and enhance the growth of GIFT reared in ion imbalanced low saline water

Randomized Controlled Trial

Animal

2022 Jul 30

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

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Source Study

Taurine and/or inorganic potassium as dietary osmolyte counter the stress and enhance the growth of GIFT reared in ion imbalanced low saline water

Score: 13

DOI: 10.1016/j.fochms.2021.100058

Similar Assertions

When tilapia fish are raised in salty water that's low in potassium, adding taurine to their food seems to boost certain genes in their gills that help manage water and salt levels — but giving them extra potassium at the same time cancels out this benefit, showing that different types of salts and nutrients can interact in tricky ways.

81%

When farming a type of tilapia in salty water that’s low in potassium, giving the fish a mix of a little potassium and taurine in their food helps them grow the most—way better than giving just one or more potassium.

79%

Giving extra potassium in their food helps farmed tilapia handle salty water better, reduces stress on their gills, and saves energy — and 0.6% potassium in the feed works best.

78%

If you're raising a special kind of tilapia in slightly salty water that's low in potassium, they need a bit more potassium in their food—about 0.57 to 0.60 grams per 100 grams of food—to grow well and stay healthy, compared to what they'd need in regular freshwater.

75%