Effect of feeding frequency on the white shrimp <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i> during the pilot‐scale nursery phase of a superintensive culture in a biofloc system

Abstract

Abstract Feeding frequencies influence growth and feeding efficiencies and thus knowing the optimal protocol is important to minimize operational costs. The present study evaluated different feeding frequencies during the pilot‐scale nursery phase of a biofloc system: T1 (1 feeding/day), T3 (3 feedings/day), and T6 (6 feedings/day), each with three replicates. In a greenhouse with nine 35 m 2 tanks, the postlarvae of Litopenaeus vannamei with a mean weight of 0.037 g were stocked at a density of 2,000 shrimp m −2 . Feeding rate was adjusted according to the shrimp biomass. Parameters of water quality, microorganisms, and production performance of shrimp were monitored. The experiment lasted 40 days. Data on the water quality, final weight, survival, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) showed no differences among the T1, T3, and T6 treatments, respectively ( p &gt; .05). The results show that it is possible to reduce the feeding frequency during the nursery phase without affecting the water quality and the growth performance of shrimp.