Effect of C:N Ratio Levels on Water Quality and Shrimp Production Parameters in Penaeus monodon Shrimp Culture with Limited Water Exchange Using Molasses as a Carbon Source

The main obstacles in developing intensive shrimp culture is waste of shrimp farms which is detrimental to environment. Mitigating the environmental impacts of effluent discharge, shrimp culture should be implemented in closed system with limited water exchange. However, the major problem associated with limited water exchange system is the rapid deterioration in pond, resulting from increasing concentration ammonia and nitrite. The addition of carbon materials such as molasses into shrimp culture with manipulating the carbon : nitrogen ratio level is one of the best strategies of controlling ammonia and nitrite in shrimp culture with Limited Water Exchange Model (LWEM). Therefore, the principal aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of C:N ratio levels on water quality and shrimp production in Penaeus monodon shrimp culture with Limited Water Exchange Model (LWEM) using molasses as a carbon source. Study reveals that C:N ratio levels significantly effected on water quality and shrimp production parameters of shrimp culture with LWEM using molasses as carbon resource using molasses.