Utilização de melaço como fonte de carbono em cultivo do camarão branco do Pacífico Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone,1931) sem renovação de água e sob diferentes relações carbono/nitrogênio

Abstract

The accumulation of toxic nitrogenous compounds in the water is a common problem to aquaculture systems. Recent works have showed good results in terms of production and nitrogen retention efficiency, through the addition of organic carbon source (sugar, molasses, etc). This work investigated the effect of molasses addition in different C:N ratios on the water quality, microbial activity and production, in semi-intensive experimental culture tanks of Litopenaeus vannamei with no water exchange. Four treatments and three replicates were adopted, which three with daily molasses addition in 5, 10 and 15:1 C:N ratio and one control with no carbon source addition. Twelve 500 L fiber glass tanks were stocked with 25 shrimps.m-2 (1.90±0.37 g). Shrimps were fed with a 35% crude protein commercial diet offered in feeding trays at 08:00 and 16:00. Phytoplankton, bacteria and water samples were collected fortnightly during the culture. The 15:1 and 10:1 C:N ratios showed lower (P<0.05) oxygen dissolved levels (4.64 and 4.76 mg L-1, respectively) which is related with the major organic carbon supply in these ratios. Molasses addition resulted in lower (P<0.05) nitrogenous compounds levels (nitrite and nitrate), as well reducing in the cianobacteria densities in the C:N 10 and 15:1 treatments. No significant differences (P≥0.05) were found in Vibrio spp, autotrophic and heterotrophic bacterial densities. Shrimp final weight (~12.3 g)and weigth gain (~1.04 g.week-1) in high C:N ratios (10:1 and 15:1) were higher (P<0.05) than in the others treatments. Specific growth rate was high in all treatments (2.53 to 2.69 % day-1), but the 10:1 ratio was higher than the control. Yield values ranged from 267.4 to 301.0 g m-2 with no significant difference (P≥0.05) among treatments. This study shows that the molasses can be used as carbon source in order to increase C:N ratio, improving the water quality and the L. vannamei semi-intensive culture performance with no water exchange.