The effect of using different types of fertilizer on plankton abundance and growth rate of backyard shrimp farm

Abstract

The application of fertilizers in aquaculture ponds is one of the ways to increase water fertility which is characterized by an abundance of phytoplankton. However, further research on the effect of adding organic fertilizer to the abundance of plankton and the productivity of cultivation is necessary. This study aims to determine the effect of the use of liquid organic fertilizer and ceraclean on the abundance of plankton in the vannamei shrimp rearing media, and the survival and growth of vannamei shrimp. There were two treatments in this study, namely the application of ceraclean fertilizer 20 ppm/week in treatment 1 and the application of liquid organic fertilizer from chicken manure 20 ppm/week in treatment 2. Treatment 1 with addition of ceraclean fertilizer showed the highest abundance of plankton (262 Ind/l) compared with treatment 2 (225 Ind/l) (P < 0.05). However, the number of beneficial plankton identified in ponds with organic fertilizer application (treatment 1) was greater (80.0%) than ceraclean fertilizer application (treatment 2) (67.5%). This explained that organic fertilizer could significantly increase the growth and survival rate of shrimp by increasing the production of beneficially plankton which lead the lower of feed intake (FCR value of 1.1).