Development of a zero water discharge (ZWD)-Recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) hybrid system for super intensive white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) culture under low salinity conditions and its industrial trial in commercial shrimp urban farming in G

This study aims to develop a hybrid zero water discharge (ZWD) - recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) system to improve water quality, as well as the growth, survival, and productivity, of the super-intensive white shrimp culture under low salinity conditions at semi-mass and the industrial level. The study consisted of two parts: (1) a semi-mass trial for the optimization of shrimp production using a hybrid ZWD-RAS system with a total volume of 2.7 m3 at the different shrimp stocking densities of 500 PL/m3, 750 PL/m3, and 1,000 PL/m3 and (2) an industrial trial at a commercial shrimp urban farming facility in Gresik, East Java, with total volume of 110 m3 at the optimum shrimp stocking density from the semi-mass trial. Both the semi-mass and industrial trials were performed in five steps: (1) preparation and installation of the RAS and ZWD system components; (2) preparation of microbial components including nitrifying bacteria, the microalgae Chaetoceros muelleri, and the probiotic heterotrophic bacteria Bacillus megaterium; (3) acclimatization of white shrimp post larvae from the salinity level of 32 ppt to 5 ppt; (4) conditioning of the biofilter used in the RAS and shrimp tank (microbial loop manipulation in ZWD); and (5) shrimp grow-out rearing for 84 days and 60 days for the semi-mass trial and the industrial trial, respectively. The hybrid system combined a ZWD system and an RAS. Shrimp tanks were conditioned with the addition of microbial components for ZWD at the beginning of the culture period. The RAS was operated when NH4+ and NO2−-N levels in shrimp culture reached above 1 ppm until the levels decreased to 0-0.5 ppm. The culture performance in the semi-mass trial at 500 PL/m3, 750 PL/m3, and 1,000 PL/m3 stocking densities was not significantly different for final mean body weight (12.06 ± 5.72, 11.84 ± 3.58, 12.04 ± 3.71 g/ind, respectively) and productivity (4.205 ± 0.071, 4.691 ± 0.025, 4.816 ± 0.129 kg/m3, respectively). Significant differences in survival (70 ± 7%, 53 ± 3%, 40 ± 4%, respectively) and feed conversion ratios (1.54 ± 0.01, 1.82 ± 0.00, 2.16 ± 0.03, respectively) were observed between the three different stocking densities. Water quality parameters and microbial loads during the semi-mass trial were similar for all stocking densities and were within the tolerance levels for white shrimp grow-out production. The results of the semi-mass trial showed that the hybrid ZWD-RAS system can maintain water quality and a microbial load up to a 1,000 PL/m3 stocking density; however, the optimum performance based on survival, feed conversion ratio, and productivity was reached at the 500 PL/m3 stocking density. The industrial trial of the application of the hybrid ZWD-RAS system using the optimal stocking density of 500 PL/m3 resulted in a comparable shrimp survival of 78% with a total production of 298 kg shrimp biomass (equal to a productivity level of 2.7 kg/m3). The overall results of both the semi-mass and industrial trials showed that the application of a hybrid ZWD-RAS system allows optimal shrimp survival and growth at the stocking density of 500 PL/m3 and has high potential for application in commercial shrimp grow-out production at low salinity levels.