Effects of prebiotic and molasses on water quality, growth and survival of Metapenaeus affinis and Macrobracium nipponense in vitro, without changing water or adding pellets

In Iraq, for the first time, rearing juveniles of two species of shrimps, Metapenaeus affinis and Macrobracium nipponense in vitro with the addition of the Probiotic, AquaStar-PondZyme, BI, and molasses has taken place. Various environmental parameters were measured for the in vitro water samples; the results were as follows; temperature: 24-27 °C, Ph: 7-8, salinity: 12-17‰, dissolved oxygen: 5-6 mg•L-1, ammonia: 0.170- 0.200 mg•L-1 and Nitrate: 6-9 mg•L-1. The growth analysis for M. affinis and M. nipponense were as follows: initial weight (gm) 3.442 ± 0.368 and 0.127 ± 0.015, while final weight (gm) was 4.454 ± 0.844 and 0.217 ± 0.032, specific growth rate (SGR) (%•day-1) 21.21 ± 4.02, 3.460 ± 2.639, with the two species having similar survival (%) 93.330 ± 11.750, respectively, over a 21-day period. Statistical analysis of M. affinis shrimp showed significant differences (p <0.05) between the rates of both initial and final weights, while there were no differences among the weight rates during other periods. The M. nipponense, on the presence of significant differences (p <0.05) between the rates of the final weights and both rates of primary and other periods weights, did not show significant differences (p> 0.05). In addition, six genera (from it species) of bacteria were recorded with a density of CFU•mL-100; and arranged by density as follows; Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp. on shrimp cultivated; M. affinis and M. nipponense, respectively.