Effect of different densities in feed conversion of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus with marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in policulture system

Abstract

This study aimed on evaluating the feed conversion of tilapia fish Oreochromis niloticus in association with marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. The marine shrimps Litopenaeus vannamei were grown for 120 days with different densities, in tanks of 1 m3 each. The pH and temperature of water were, approximately, 8 and 27ºC, respectively. The fishes fed on fish feed, whose protein content ranged from 45 to 32% . At the end of the experiment, the final average weight for treatments A, B, and C for tilapia fish was 231.4 g, 230.2 g, and 257.0 g, respectively, and 13.3 g, 14.2 g, and 14.0 g for the shrimps, respectively. The found survival rate was: treatment A (100.0; 83.3), treatment B (83.3; 87.5), and treatment C (100.0; 86.11) for tilapia fish and shrimp, respectively. Feed conversion of tilapia fish O. niloticus in association with marine shrimp L. vannamei may vary from 1,47:1 to 1,73:1. We concluded that the shrimp L. vannamei might be grown in association with tilapia O. niloticus feeding on just on type of feed.