Author
|
Submitted to: International Aquaculture Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 11/24/2003 Publication Date: 3/1/2004 Citation: Green, B.W. 2004. Amending fresh water for production of Litopenaeus Vannamei in earthen ponds. Aquaculture 2004 Book of Abstracts. p. 238. Interpretive Summary: Not Required. Technical Abstract: Inland culture of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei may allow farmers to diversify production and increase profits. Catfish farmers in the southern US that have utilized low-salinity ground water for catfish production now are beginning trials to grow L. vannamei. However, the availability of low-salinity ground water may not be a requirement for farmers considering shrimp culture as an alternative. The ionic composition of low-salinity groundwater in the southern US often differs from seawater at the same salinity. Inland shrimp producers confronting this problem in 2001 solved it by using fertilizers to provide the missing ions. Because low-salinity ground water can be amended to supply deficient ions, it should be possible to amend water freshwater aquifers to support successful shrimp culture. Study objectives were to determine if L. vannamei could be produced in amended freshwater and if two crops per season were possible by stocking ponds with PL25 shrimp. Six 0.1-ha earthen ponds were filled with freshwater (total alkalinity 154 mg/L; total hardness 188 mg/L). Salinity was increased to 0.7'1.0 g/L through addition of salt and potassium fertilizer. Three ponds were stocked in late May with L. vannamei PL15 (39 PL/m2) and grown for the entire growing season. Three other ponds were stocked PL25 shrimp (25 PL/m2) and grown for two 55'65-d cycles. Shrimp were fed a commercially formulated shrimp diet (35% crude protein), 7 d/wk. Freshwater was amended successfully to permit shrimp production. Stocking a PL 25 shrimp did not appear to confer any advantage in terms of growth. Mean shrimp weight was similar in ponds stocked with either PL 15 or PL 25 shrimp during the first 55 days of culture. It is unfeasible to produce two crops of shrimp during the growing season by stocking PL 25 shrimp. |
