Growth performance of blue shrimp, Litopenaeus stylirostris in self-cleaning microcosm tanks

Outdoor microcosm tanks were used to grow the penaeid blue shrimp, Litopenaeus stylirostris, in Brunei Darussalam. The tanks were cylindrical, free standing fiber glass tanks of 1827 L water holding capacity and had a self-cleaning mechanism. In three eight-week feeding trials, juvenile shrimp of 0.9–4.3 g were stocked at a density of 28 shrimp/m2. At the end of each trial, survival rates exceeded 80%. Growth rates ranged from 1.19 to 2.46 g/week. Water quality remained stable and within suitable ranges for L. stylirostris growth in all trials. The tanks had algae and bacterial floc developing within a few days of starting the trials. Fourteen commercial shrimp feeds, each containing more than 40% crude protein, were tested in the trials. In spite of the presence of natural food organisms, significant feed-related differences among treatments were found in each trial. In conclusion, microcosm tanks support excellent growth and survival of L. stylirostris and are appropriate for conducting trials to evaluate feeds for pond growout.