Effects of combined rice flour and molasses use on the growth performance of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Boone, 1931) applied biofloc technology

Abstract

A 63-day completely random experiment with three replications was carried out to compare the effects of five different combination ratios of rice flour (R) and molasses (M) on the growth and survival rates of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Boone, 1931) postlarvae applied biofloc technology. Five biofloc (BF) treatments, including R90-M10, R70-M30, R50-M50, R30-M70, and R10-M90, formed with the addition of different combination ratios of rice flour and molasses, i.e., 90% R+10% M, 70% R+30% M, 50% R+50% M, 30% R+70% M, and 10% R+90% M, respectively, with C/N ratios of 15:1, and a control (neither rice flour nor molasses applied) was randomly arranged into the 18 plastic tanks of 1.0 m3 volume (with 0.5 m3 of water) each tank and salinity of 15‰. The postlarvae (0.095 g) were stocked into the tanks at a 150 ind. m−3 density and fed pelleted feed (40% protein). There was an improvement in growth (FMW, WG, DWG, and SGR) for all treatments. Besides, treatments with more than or equal to 30% molasses have improved SR, FCR, and FB. Especially the highest SR (94.2%) was obtained at the R70-M30, which perhaps created the highest FB (1.435 kg m−3) in this treatment. The lowest FCR (1.28) was also observed in the R70-M30 and significantly differed from the control and other treatments. Besides, water quality parameters were within the ranges recommended for Pacific white shrimp health during the experimental period. Our findings indicated the benefits of shrimp culture using the BF system when different combined ratios of rice flour and molasses were applied, of which a ratio of 70% rice flour and 30% molasses was considered as the best.