Probiotics are pivotal in sustainable shrimp aquaculture, enhancing disease resistance, improving water quality, and maintaining overall pond health. Their efficacy depends on the ability to integrate and establish symbiotic relationships with native microbial communities in both the pond environment and the shrimp microbiota. Effective probiotics interact dynamically—competitively and cooperatively—with indigenous microbes to create a stable, functional ecosystem.
To establish early symbiosis, select a probiotic product capable of inhibiting pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus through a three-day feeding trial at 1% inclusion, with green Vibrio counts measured before and after treatment. Probiotics should be applied two weeks prior to seed stocking and again two weeks after stocking. Preparation involves fermenting rice bran for 24 hours in liquid culture followed by 24 hours of wet proliferation. The fermented rice bran is then packed into 40-mesh net bags and hanged in front of water paddle wheels for one week to promote in-pond probiotic proliferation and integration. This procedure is repeated weekly for four consecutive weeks. In addition, copepod eggs can survive chlorine treatment and hatch; the emerging copepods act as carriers, delivering probiotics into the shrimp digestive tract and internal organs, thereby facilitating early host–microbe symbiosis.
Continuous administration of probiotic-enriched feed via automatic feeders ensures sustained gut colonization, promoting digestion, immunity, and growth, while aiding in post-excretion water purification. Additionally, co-application of probiotics with clay and zeolite supports the formation of biofilms and activated sludge. These carriers facilitate microbial attachment and nutrient cycling, improving water quality and pathogen suppression.
Over time, probiotic strains become localized in pond substrates and the surrounding environment, contributing to long-term biosecurity. This integrated and localized microbial management strategy enhances pond resilience and ecological balance, supporting the sustainable intensification of shrimp aquaculture systems.