ABSTRACT
The potential of neem, Azadirachta indica (A. Juss), supplemented biofloc medium in replacement of costly feed for Cyprinus carpio culture vis-à-vis the environmental health of the system was investigated. The biofloc-supported culture system resulted in 17% more growth, parallel with improvement in feed conversion ratio and efficiency by 32.56% and 14.11% respectively. However, biofloc alone could not support growth and survival of the test fish, as higher (P < .05) mortality (22.22%) was encountered. In spite of nitrification inhibition in neem-based biofloc medium, the nutrient status of the system was not impacted. Bioflocs favored phosphorus mineralization and became limited in maintaining the balance between available nitrogen: phosphorus beyond 0.065 mg L−1.
Acknowledgments
The first author acknowledges the laboratory facilities provided by the Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fishery Sciences, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.