Use of agriculture by-products (brans and meal) as food for Artemia franciscana (Kellogg, 1906) and effects on growth, survival, reproduction, biochemical compositions, and total carotenoids

Use of agriculture by-products (brans and meal) as food for Artemia franciscana (Kellogg, 1906) and effects on growth, survival, reproduction, biochemical compositions, and total carotenoids

Aquaculture needs to provide live food such as Artemia and one of the most important issues in Artemia rearing, is food supply. The most common foods for Artemia are single-celled algae. Due to high costs and difficulties in culturing algae, using of agricultural by-products has become more important. The instar I nauplii were fed in seven treatments including Wheat bran 90% + Algae10%, Rice bran 90% + Algae10%, Soy-meal 90% + Algae 10%, Wheat bran 45% + Soy-meal 45% + Algae 10%, Wheat bran 45% + Rice bran 45% + Algae 10%, Soy-meal 45% + Rice bran 45% + Algae 10% and Algae with 1.8 × 107 cells per ml. For each treatment growth, survival and body composition was calculated. At reproductive period, 35 pairs (males and females) were individually isolated from each treatment and transferred to 50 ml Falcon tubes in which the reproduction and longevity of females were monitored until their deaths. The result showed that in Artemia fed by the agricultural by-product, rice bran + wheat bran obtained the highest growth (11.52 mm), and the highest survival observed in wheat bran + soy meal (50.67%) (p 0.05). Most of the offspring were observed in control (896.86) and wheat bran (880.37), but there was no statistical difference between them (p 0.05). The longest longevity was obtained in wheat bran (59.78 days) (p 0.05). Although the Artemia fed with rice bran was similar to the control group in terms of body protein (p 0.05), the Artemia fed with wheat bran, showed significantly higher body protein (p 0.05). The results revealed that presence of algae in Artemia diets could improve carotenoids, whereas replacements of algae with brans reduced carotenoids. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that wheat bran and rice bran could replace about 90 percent of algae and keep the quality of cultured Artemia at the best level.

Aquaculture needs to provide live food such as Artemia and one of the most important issues in Artemia rearing, is food supply. The most common foods for Artemia are single-celled algae. Due to high costs and difficulties in culturing algae, using of agricultural by-products has become more important. The instar I nauplii were fed in seven treatments including Wheat bran 90% + Algae10%, Rice bran 90% + Algae10%, Soy-meal 90% + Algae 10%, Wheat bran 45% + Soy-meal 45% + Algae 10%, Wheat bran 45% + Rice bran 45% + Algae 10%, Soy-meal 45% + Rice bran 45% + Algae 10% and Algae with 1.8 × 107 cells per ml. For each treatment growth, survival and body composition was calculated. At reproductive period, 35 pairs (males and females) were individually isolated from each treatment and transferred to 50 ml Falcon tubes in which the reproduction and longevity of females were monitored until their deaths. The result showed that in Artemia fed by the agricultural by-product, rice bran + wheat bran obtained the highest growth (11.52 mm), and the highest survival observed in wheat bran + soy meal (50.67%) (p 0.05). Most of the offspring were observed in control (896.86) and wheat bran (880.37), but there was no statistical difference between them (p 0.05). The longest longevity was obtained in wheat bran (59.78 days) (p 0.05). Although the Artemia fed with rice bran was similar to the control group in terms of body protein (p 0.05), the Artemia fed with wheat bran, showed significantly higher body protein (p 0.05). The results revealed that presence of algae in Artemia diets could improve carotenoids, whereas replacements of algae with brans reduced carotenoids. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that wheat bran and rice bran could replace about 90 percent of algae and keep the quality of cultured Artemia at the best level.