Effect of Two Commercial Probiotics on Growth Performance of Fresh Water Prawn Macrobrachium Rosenbergii (De Man, 1879)

Abstract

In order to evaluate the production performance of fresh water prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) by applying locally available probiotics, a study was carried out in the pond complex II of Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Discipline, Khulna University from August 2011 to December 2011. There were four treatments named without probiotic (Control T₁), Zymetin (T₂), Super PS (T₃) and Both Zymetin and Super PS (T₄). Twelve ponds with three replicates for each treatment group and the control group were used and the stocking density was 2/m². Initially at the time of stocking average body weight of prawn was 1.04g. After 4.5 months, at the time of harvesting average weight increased to 24.93g in control pond, 30.48g in Zymetin treatment pond, 36.27g in Super PS and 40.06g in combine application of Zymetin and Super PS pond. The production of control pond was 397kg/ha where as 492kg/ha for only Zymetin treated pond, 582kg/ha for only Super PS treated pond and 656kg/ha for both Zymetin and Super PS treated pond. Probiotics treated pond production was always higher than control pond. The mean weight and length of each treatment groups was significantly different (P<0.05) from that of the control. There was no significant difference of water and soil parameters among the treatments. Water pH was 7.76-7.85 while temperature was 25-30°C in dry period, and 12.5-18.5°C in winter, salinity 0.5ppt, hardness 380-450mg CaCO₃/L, alkalinity 180-240mg CaCO₃/L, dissolved oxygen 4.5-5.3 ppm, transparency 40-60cm ammonia and nitrite were 0.3-0.8 ppm and 0.2-0.7ppm respectively. The soil pH was 6.7-7.7, while organic carbon was 1.067 to 1.32%, Ca, 0.13 to 0.17%; Mg 0.08-0.09%; phosphate 0.02-2.67%; electrical conductivity (EC), was 2.3to 6.91 ds/m. Maximum microbial load was found in non probiotic treated pond water (5.3x10⁵ CFU/g)while minimum in Super PS treated pond (3x10⁴ CFU/g).