The use of probiotics during the nursery rearing of the pink shrimp Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) in a zero exchange system

This study evaluated the effects of probiotics on the nursery rearing of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis) in a zero-exchange aerobic heterotrophic (biofloc) system over a 30-day period. Early juveniles (0.46 ± 0.13 g) were stocked at 150 shrimp/m² and subjected to four treatments: a Bacillus spp. mixture (Sanolife Pro-W®), a multi-strain mixture (Bacillus sp., Enterococcus sp., Lactobacillus spp. - Biomin Start-grow®), Bacillus cereus var. toyoi, and a control without probiotics. Probiotic addition significantly improved shrimp growth performance compared to the control group. Mean final weights reached 1.42 ± 0.40 g for Sanolife Pro-W®, 1.39 ± 0.80 g for Biomin Start-grow®, and 1.34 ± 0.36 g for B. cereus var. toyoi, compared to 1.22 ± 0.38 g in the control. Specific growth rates were also significantly higher in probiotic treatments (0.034–0.036%/day vs 0.030%/day). Furthermore, shrimp in probiotic treatments exhibited higher total protein concentrations and granular haemocyte counts. Bacteriological analysis revealed that probiotic application effectively maintained lower concentrations of presumptive Vibrio spp. in rearing water compared to control tanks. These findings demonstrate that probiotics enhance growth, immunological condition, and microbial safety in zero-exchange shrimp nursery systems.