Tag biofloc

An R&D trial was conducted with shrimp biofloc technology at a commercial facility in Saudi Arabia. Results indicated that biofloc technology can be effectively applied, with some protocol adjustments, in the KSA’s extreme desert environmental conditions. 

Zero-exchange biofloc systems allow elevated stocking densities and production, but also require more dissolved oxygen and thorough water circulation. A new type of air injector uses only a centrifugal pump to recirculate water while naturally aspirating ambient air. 

The authors performed a study to determine the tolerance of shrimp postlarvae to the crowding effects of high-density stocking in terms of production performance. Postlarvae were stocked in heavily aerated microcosm tanks with biofloc at 1,500; 3,000; 6,000 or 9,000 shrimp/m3. High survival was observed at all densities. Final biomass values increased with higher stocking densities, but there was no significant difference between the 6,000 and 9,000 shrimp/m3 treatments or the 1,500 and 3,000 shrimp/m3 treatments. 

Sodium butyrate has potential as an additive for marine shrimp diets, improving both the balance of intestinal bacterial flora and performance of the shrimp. 

To ensure optimal water quality and clean pond bottoms at shrimp farms, choosing consistently good-quality feed and close monitoring of feed trays supported by a proven feeding guide are recommended practices to control the amount of feed applied to ponds. 

Although Bali is primarily a tourist destination, several small family-owned shrimp farms are located here. The Ndaru Luat Setio shrimp farm at Kubu raises specific pathogen-free Litopenaeus vannamei in ponds that apply basic biofloc technology with zero water exchange. 

A trial in a lined, greenhouse-enclosed raceway evaluated the use of a heterotrophic biofloc system equipped with aeration, supplemental oxygen injection and centralized heating to achieve good shrimp production. 

The use of biofloc systems for shrimp culture requires monitoring of water quality parameters, particularly suspended solids levels. 

In trials raising larger juvenile shrimp than those used previously in indoor super-intensive recirculating raceway systems, the positive effects from increased stocking size, growth rate and survival resulted in a reduced crop duration time. 

The authors tested the effects of sequencing autotrophic and heterotrophic dominance on water quality levels in a recirculating system raising shrimp. Culture tanks were inoculated with nitrifying bacteria, and chemoautotrophic dominance was maintained. 

In studies that used biofloc systems to culture channel catfish, culture tanks were susceptible to episodes of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol and subsequent bioaccumulation of off-flavors in catfish flesh. 

In ongoing trials of greenhouse-enclosed intensive biofloc shrimp culture systems, the objectives of a 2012 study were to evaluate the performance of fast-growth shrimp fed a commercial diet formulated for high-density culture systems, and to further evaluate injector performance in the zero-exchange, super-intensive raceways. 

A large-scale integrated shrimp aquaculture park (iSHARP) project in Malaysia is approaching completion of its first phase. Biosecurity is a priority at iSHARP. The design of each unit allows individual modules or ponds to be “locked down” to prevent disease from spreading. 

Research at the Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory is investigating ways to improve the economic viability of super-intensive raceways for shrimp production. 

Shrimp production studies using biofloc technology at the AgriLife Research Mariculture Lab in Texas evaluated different approaches to maintain water quality.