USE OF RECOVERED BIOFLOC MATERIAL FROM PRODUCTION TANKS AS FEED INGREDIENT IN DIETS OF PACIFIC WHITE SHRIMP Litopenaeus vannamei

Recovered biofloc (BF) material from production tanks can be an economical and viable ingredient in shrimp diets. The current study used BF material in diets of Pacific white shrimp (PWS), Litopenaeus vannamei to determine its applicability as a feed ingredient, and its effects on shrimp production performance. Six experimental diets were formulated to contain 35% crude protein, 8% lipid, and an estimated 3.0 kcal/g digestible energy, and consisted of a high fishmeal control (HFMC); BF-free control (BFFC); 2% BF (2% BF); 4% BF (4% BF); 2% squid meal (2% SM); and 50% soybean meal replaced with BF (50% BFSBM). Thirty 40-L rectangular polyethylene tanks running salt water as a recirculation aquaculture system were stocked with 10 shrimps (mean weight ± SD of 4.32 ± 0.18 g) per tank. After the six-week feeding trial, lowest growth performance and highest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was exhibited by shrimp fed 50% BFSBM, but due to the relatively lower final protein content of this diet, this treatment was excluded from the statistical analyses and results hereafter. Survival rates ranged from 74 to 80% without any significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) among treatments. Shrimp fed 2% BF showed highest (P < 0.05) final body weight and SGR than all other treatments; while no significant (P ≥ 0.05) differences in FCR, feed intake, and protein efficiency ratio were found among treatments. Likewise, carcass proximate composition, amylase, lipase, and trypsin activities did not show any significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in all treatments. Results indicate that recovered BF material included at 2% in the diet may positively affect the growth performance of PWS. Therefore, additional evaluations on the potential additive properties and nutritional value of BF in the diet of PWS are recommended.