Bioremediation and reuse of shrimp aquaculture effluents to farm whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei: a first approach

Shrimp aquaculture effluents were bioremediated in a two-phase system (System A) using the black clam Chione fluctifraga and the benthic microalgae Navicula sp., and then reused to farm whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. In the experimental design, Systems B and C had an identical structure as System A, but no clams or microalgae were added. System B received the same shrimp effluents while System C received only estuarine water. Shrimp raw effluents had a poor water quality. System A improved the water quality by decreasing the concentrations of total nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, total suspended solids (TSS) and organic suspended solids (OSS). System B also decreased the concentration of TAN, TSS and OSS via sedimentation, but the effect was less pronounced than that observed in System A. Shrimp reared in the bioremediated effluents (System A) had better production (3166 kg ha(-1)) and higher survival (89.2%) than those reared in effluents from Systems B (2610 kg ha(-1),75.1%) and C (2874 kg ha(-1),82.1%). It is concluded that the bioremediation system was moderately efficient and the bioremediated effluents were suitable to farm L. vannamei.