Effect of biofloc technology on water quality and feed utilization in the cultivation of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibeliovar. CAS III)

Abstract

This study was designed to use sucrose as carbon source to investigate the effect of biofloc technology on water quality and feed utilization in the cultivation of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio var. CAS III). Three isolipidic and isoenergetic diets were formulated containing graded levels of dietary protein (257.4, 300.7 and 353.4 g/kg). The control group (P34) was fed with 353.4 g/kg protein diet without biofloc. Three biofloc treatments (P24 + B, P29 + B and P34 + B) were fed with the three diets with daily sucrose supplementation and continuous air inflation. The results found that the sucrose supplementation could generate biofloc and increased biofloc volume (BFV, p < 0.05). The concentration of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and the total phosphorus (TP) of all tanks decreased in biofloc groups, and the total nitrogen (TN) of P24 + B treatment tanks was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The growth of P24 + B and P29 + B group was similar with that of control group (p > 0.05). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of P29 + B was lower than P24 + B and P34 + B (p < 0.05). Protein retention efficiency (PRE) of P24 + B group was significantly higher than other treatments (p < 0.05). Phosphorus retention efficiency (PhRE) of P24 + B group was the highest among all treatments. Compared with the control group, P29 + B group had an improved total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and contained the lowest malondialdehyde level (MDA). The present results indicated that low-protein diet is more suitable for gibel carp in zero-water exchange biofloc system compared with high-protein diet.