This study evaluated dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) on the enzymatic activity, in vitro nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The treatments were: shrimp fed diet supplemented with 2% butyrate, shrimp fed diet supplemented with 2% PHB, and shrimp fed unsupplemented diet. Shrimp fed with PHB-supplemented diet showed higher values of intestinal protease, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and amylase. Shrimp fed with butyrate-supplemented diet showed higher intestinal lipase than unsupplemented shrimp. Butyrate increased hepatopancreatic protease, trypsin, and chymotrypsin activity and in vitro protein digestibility. Shrimp fed with PHB-supplemented diet and butyrate had higher digestibility of polysaccharides and lipids. Shrimp fed with PHB-supplemented diet presented increase in the length, width, and perimeter of intestinal villi. Animals fed with both diets retained overall integrity of their intestinal mucous membrane. The findings show that dietary supplementation with PHB and butyrate can alter intestinal morphology and could improve the digestive capacity of L. vannamei.

This trial aimed to evaluate the growth performance and hematological parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) GIFT strain during nursery using different stock densities in a biofloc system. The experiment was conducted in circular tanks (400 L) with sexually reversed fish, weighing 6.74 ± 0.37 g, over a period of 35 days. Five treatments with three replicates each were used in a completely randomized design. The treatments were as follows: T1 (200 fishes m-3); T2 (300 fishes m-3); T3 (400 fishes m-3); T4 (500 fishes m-3), and T5 (600 fishes m-3). The fishes were fed four times a day, following a feed table for this species, with adjustments according to fish biomass. The water quality parameters total ammoniacal nitrogen, and unionized ammonia showed a significant difference (p<0.05) between the treatments with lower (T1) and higher stocking densities (T4, T5). Alkalinity was significantly higher in treatments with higher densities (T4 and T5). For hematological parameters, the number of thrombocytes was higher in T5. Hemoglobin concentration was significantly lower in T5 than in T3. The best productive indexes were found in T4, presenting final biomass of 9915.16 ± 14.80 g m-3, apparent feed conversion rate of 1.11 ± 0.02, mean survival of 95.75 ± 0.75%, and daily mean weight gain of 0.43 ± 0.07 g. Overall, the Nile tilapia nursery in a biofloc system showed higher individual growth at densities up to 300 fishes m-3 and increased stocking density up to 500 fishes m-3.

The nursery phase in tilapia using biofloc technology is important as it increases the predictability of production. However, none studies evaluating the stocking densities of tilapia focused only on the use of an inorganic carbon source to promote the nitrification process as the main way to control nitrogen in the system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of varied nursery stocking densities, in a chemoautotrophic biofloc system, on water quality, zootechnical parameters, and health of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Fifteen tanks (100 L capacity) containing heaters (28 ±1°C) inoculated with mature bioflocs were used. Seven hundred and fifty tilapia fingerlings (weighing 0.66 ±0.17 g) were distributed in the tanks, in triplicate, so that the densities in the tanks reached 200, 350, 500, 650, and 800 fish m-3. Dissolved oxygen and tilapia growth showed a negative linear relationship with fish density. A positive linear relationship with density was observed for nitrogen compounds, alkalinity, suspended solids, yield, and feed conversion. However, the water quality parameters were appropriate for tilapia and allowed good zootechnical performance irrespective of the fish density. Hematological parameters, fish survival, and uniformity in growth did not alter with densities. Total suspended solids produced by fish biomass showed a quadratic relationship with density, with the highest efficiency of the tanks stocked with 406 fish m-3. It is possible to construct a tilapia nursery in chemoautotrophic biofloc systems with densities reaching up to 800 fish m-3 and yield exceeding 12 kg m-3. But the density of 406 fish m-3 had a better efficiency in solid production by biomass.