Replacement of fishmeal and fish oil with vegetable meal and oil in feedstuffs used in the growing phase of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, in biofloc systems

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the substitution of fishmeal and fish oil with soy protein concentrate and soybean oil on survival, growth and body composition of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) produced in biofloc system (BFT). Five diets were formulated to be isoproteic and isoenergetic with different levels of substitution of fishmeal and fish oil with soy protein concentrate and soybean oil. The treatments were named as: 0% (without substitution), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The diets were formulated to contain approximately 35% protein and 8% lipids. The experiment was conducted for 49 days, with juveniles with initial weight of (2.93±0.83g) in a biofloc system (BFT). No significant differences were found between treatments up to 75% of substitution for the variables of weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and survival. The 100% substitution treatment showed a lower specific growth rate. The present study suggests fish meal and fish oil can be substituted in up to 75% for soy protein concentrate and soybean oil, without harming the development of the shrimps when reared in biofloc system.