<b> Carbon addition in intensive culture of white shrimp <i> Litopenaeus vannamei </i> with biofloc </b>

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of carbon addition in the water quality and performance of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei reared in a minimal water exchange intensive system with suspended microbial flocs. Juveniles of L. vannamei with an initial mean weight of 0.112 ± 0.07 g were reared in 6 lined ponds (500 m2) at a density of 85 shrimp/m2. Two treatments with tree replicates each were applied – TM (Molasses treatment) and TC (Control Treatment). Ponds from the Molasses treatment were organically fertilized with molasses (as a carbon source) every week and no water exchange was performed. At the ponds from the control treatment shrimp were reared without molasses addition and water was exchange at a 10 % rate every week. Aeration was provided to all tanks with a 1hp paddle wheel aerators (equivalent to 20hp per hectare). The physical and chemical water quality factors were within the recommended range for this species culture and there were no significant differences between treatments throughout the experimental period. Similarly, survival and feed conversion rate did not show significant differences between treatments (p>0.05). However, shrimp reared in the Molasses treatment achieved significant higher (p<0.05) mean final weight (10.72 ± 2.12 g) than shrimp reared in the control treatment (8.45 ± 2.03 g)