Aquaculture America 2023

February 23 - 26, 2023

New Orleans, Louisiana USA

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF PROBIOTICS ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF NILE TILAPIA Oreochromis niloticus IN A HIGH DENSITY BIOFLOC SYSTEM

Beatriz Pacheco Nogueira Oliveira*, Uthpala Padeniya, Allen Davis, and Timothy Bruce

School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 36849

bpo0011@auburn.edu

 



Biofloc technology (BFT) is an aquaculture system that has gained popularity with tilapia producers. Probiotics provide benefits for the host and/or the environment. The use of probiotics has been reported in some cases to enhance growth performance, improve water quality, and prevent infections. One of the administration routes for probiotics is to apply them through the feed. When a probiotic is combined with a biofloc system, the production yield may be improved through better fish growth, disease resistance or enhanced survival. The objective of this research was to evaluate the growth performance of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus while offered commercial feed top coated with 2 different probiotics. Nine independent 1000-gallons tanks were set with heavy aeration and managed as individual biofloc type systems. The tanks were stocked with 120 fish/tank (mean initial weight 71.4 ±4.4g). The fish were offered commercial feed (38% protein floating tilapia feed, Optimal Aquafeed, Omaha, Ne) that was top coated with two probiotics, AP193 (Bacillus spp.; provided by Dr Mark Liles, Auburn University), and Biowish® Feedbuilder (Biowish technologies ® Cincinnati, OH, USA). The same commercial feed was used as reference resulting in 3 experimental treatments. The trial was conducted for 109 days, and the fish were fed twice a day. The results of the growth trial indicated no significant differences in weight gain percent (p< 0.4028), survival (p<0.4352), FCR (p<0.1742) and final mean weight (p<0.1293) of tilapia offered the three diets. Even though the growth performance results presented no significant differences, the results could differ based on the concentration and the route of the probiotic administration, but most importantly, their impact on the microbial community of the water developed in the Biofloc system. Problems with high total ammonia nitrogen were observed in all treatments, what can affect the fish productivity. The fish health is also being analyzed as a secondary part of the trial.