Effects of Microalgae Addition and Fish Feed Supplementation in the Integrated Rearing of Pacific White Shrimp and Nile Tilapia Using Biofloc Technology

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate a Pacific white shrimp and Nile tilapia integrated system using biofloc technology with or without the addition of the microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus and with or without fish feed supplementation in a two-factor 62-day experiment. The shrimp (2.16 ± 0.01 g) were reared under a density of 400 shrimp m−3 and the fish (1.53 ± 0.12 g) were reared under a density of 522 fish m−3. The microalgae was added to the culture water two times a week. Growth performance, sludge production, and water microbiology were evaluated. Fish feed and the microalgae addition improved fish final biomass in 58% and 14%, respectively (p < 0.05). Fish survival was significantly higher when microalgae was added (93.9 ± 1.8%) compared with the treatments without microalgae addition (86.2 ± 7.6%) (p < 0.05). The yield of the overall system was higher in the treatments with fish feed supplementation (4.2 ± 0.2 kg m−3) compared with no addition (3.9 ± 0.2 kg m−3) (p < 0.05). These results suggest that fish feed supplementation at the rate of 1% of the biomass and microalgae inoculation can improve fish growth performance and system yield, without affecting sludge production and water microbiology. This work is an expansion of a conference paper with the same title.

The Assembly Process of Free-Living and Particle-Attached Bacterial Communities in Shrimp-Rearing Waters: The Overwhelming Influence of Nutrient Factors Relative to Microalgal Inoculation

“…Therefore, a gradual enrichment in nutrients is an important factor that constrains bacterial communities in shrimp-rearing waters. This phenomenon aligns with our prior research findings [9,10,17]. Moreover, the water discharged from a shrimp-rearing system can undergo treatment through external aquaculture wastewater treatment systems [39].…”

“…Jensen [9] emphasized the significance of microalgae, specifically Thalassiosira fluviatilis, in enhancing the weight gain and survival of Farfantepenaeus paulensis shrimp in nursery tanks. Additionally, the introduction of microalgae, particularly Scenedesmus obliquus, improved fish survival in an integrated shrimp and fish culture system using biofloc technology [10]. These findings strongly suggest that microalgae inoculation can significantly enhance the performance and sustainability of shrimp-rearing systems.…”

The utilization of microbes for sustainable food production

“…Microbes can produce carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins (Wang et al, 2021 ; Akkaya and Can-Guven, 2022 ; Kurniawan et al, 2022 ). Proteins are essential in human diets and animal feed formulations (Silva et al, 2022 ; Pyne et al, 2022 ). Aspergillus, Corynebacterium , and Brevibacterium are examples of amino acid sources used in dietary and feed supplements (Aizat et al, 2019 ; Karimi et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Research has been conducted to increase the growth and production of proteins, fatty acids, and carotenoids from Chlorella, Spirulina, Aphanizomenon , and Chlamydomonas (Bleakley et al, 2017 ; Caporgno et al, 2018 ; Wang et al, 2021 ; Acquah et al, 2021 ; Pyne et al, 2022 ). Scenedesmus and Chlorella are used in bio-floc systems and fish feed supplements to enhance the growth of Pacific white shrimp and Nile tilapia (Silva et al, 2022 ).…”

How a holobiome perspective could promote intensification, biosecurity and eco-efficiency in the shrimp aquaculture industry

“…On the other hand, studies that consider the role of microeukaryotes in the system have revealed that the stability of a biofloc system with zero or minimal water exchange depends on the dynamic interaction between bacteria, fungi, protozoans, nematodes and rotifers, where phytoplankton and heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria have the most crucial role in N and C utilisation (Emerenciano et al, 2017). In addition, microalgae are relevant for N and P absorption and provide greater nutritional value to the bioflocs, especially in integrated intensive aquaculture systems (Silva et al, 2022).…”