Polyculture of red seaweed (Gracilaria tenuistipitata) with different stocking densities of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei): Effects on water quality and shrimp performance

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the impact of co-culturing red seaweed (Gracilaria tenuistipitata) with varying densities of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) on water quality and shrimp performance. The experiment was conducted in indoor tank systems in triplicate. Five shrimp densities (100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 shrimp/m3) were integrated with red seaweed (2 kg/m3) over 60 days. The results demonstrated that the polyculture of red seaweed with shrimp maintained appropriate levels of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and NO2 - in rearing tanks at highshrimp densities ranging f-rom 100 to 300 shrimp/m3. Shrimp growth rates tended to decline as density increased, but there were no statistical differences (p>0.05) between treatments at stocking densities ranging f-rom 100 to 300 shrimp/m3. Shrimp survival declined dramatically as stocking densities increased f-rom 400 shrimp/m3 upwards. The lowest and highest shrimp yields were achieved at densities of 100 and 300 shrimp/m3, respectively. Furthermore, the sensory quality of cooked shrimp meat was highly rated by the panellists. These findings demonstrate that the polyculture of red seaweed with whiteleg shrimp can be applied at stocking densities of up to 300 shrimp/m3 while maintaining appropriate water quality parameters and improving production efficiency in the culture unit.