Biofloc technology is a very promising for stable and sustainable production as the system has self-nitrification process within culture ponds with zero water exchange (Yoram, 2000, 2005a&b & Yoram, et at 2012). The technology has been successfully applied commercially with shrimp (L. vannamei) in Belize (McIntosh, 2000a, b & c, 2001). It also has been applied with success in shrimp farming in Indonesia, Malaysia (Taw 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010: Taw & Setio, 2014).
The effect of bioflocs on growth and immunity on P. vannamei has been studied by Jang, In-Kwon (2012), Kim, Su-Kyoung, et al (2013), Julie E., et al (2014). Bioflocs with unicellular protein (CP 30-50%) is natural extra nutritious feed for the shrimps. Although heterothrophic bacteria play the most import role in biofloc formation, the floc also contains microalgae and these might be important for nutritional quality of biofloc and moreover the ability of certain microalgae to interfere with bacteria cell-cell communication could serve to prevent pathogenic bacteria from expressing their virulence genes, thereby preventing infection (Natrah, F.M.I et al, 2014) . Biofloc showed positive effects on shrimp immunity and disease resistance (Ekasari J, et al 2014). Recently, according to Shinn (2019) challenging Penaeus vannamei post larvae with AHPND in biofloc water had higher survival rates.
Main economic benefits of shrimp biofloc system are - better biosecurity (zero water exchange - RAS), stable water quality (DO & pH), low FCR (1.0 to 1.2), higher energy efficiency (680-1,000 kg/hp), maximum production of 50.0mt/ha in 0.25 ha ponds to 12 kg/m3 in Raceways. Probiotic bacteria produced in situ (better immunity) leads to sustainable production
Aquaculture America 2020 Honolulu Hawaii
February 9-12 2020