BIOFLOC TECHNOLOGY

&
APPLICATIONS
SUBMITTED BY-
PURNA CHANDRA DAS
M.Sc 4thSEM
VIDYASAGAR UNIVERSITY
MIDNAPORE , WEST BENGAL
 INTRODUCTION

 The Biofloc is a protein rich macro aggregate of organic material

and micro-organisms including diatoms, bacteria, protozoa, algae,
fecal pellets, remains of dead organisms and other invertebrates.
 Biofloc technology is a technique of enhancing water quality in
aquaculture through balancing carbon and nitrogen in the system.
 Biofloc technology has become a popular technology in the
farming of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei
 It is possible that this microbial protein has a higher availability
than feed protein.
 REASONS FOR BFT

 Fish /shrimp are fed with a lot of feed

 About 70-80% of it remains in the pond, in the water or the sediment.
 Ponds contain a high load of nutrients Organic residues
accumulate

Fish eat bacteria We mix and

Feed is recycled aerate.

Procedures of BFT

Bacteria control Ideal conditions

water quality. for bacteria

We limit water
exchange
 APPLICATION OF BIOFLOC
TECHNOLOGY IN AQUACULTURE
NURSERY
 Nursery phase is defined as an intermediate step between hatchery-
reared early postlarvae and grow-out phase.
 BFT has been applied successfully in nursery phase in different shrimp
species such as L.vannamei , P. monodon , F. paulensis , F. brasiliensis
and F. setiferus.
 Better nutrition by continuous consumption of biofloc The growth
enhancement of L. vannamei post larvae reared in nursery BFT is related
to a better nutrition by continuous consumption of biofloc, which might
positively influence growout performance of L vannamei .
 Increased the survibility rate reported survival rates of L vannamei in BFT
nursery pond range from 55.9% to 100% and 97% to100%, respectively.
 Decrease FCR and reducing cost in feed
 GROW OUT

 It was estimated that more than 29% of the daily food intake
of L. vannamei consisted of microbial flocs, decreasing FCR
and reducing costs in feed.
 The reference showed that juveniles of L. vannamei fed with
35% CP pelletized feed grew significantly better in biofloc
conditions as compared to clear-water conditions.
 It was showed that controlling the concentration of particles in
super-intensive shrimp culture systems can significantly
improve shrimp production and water quality
 APPLICATION IN BREEDING

 The BFT has been successfully applied for grow-out, but little is
known about biofloc benefits on breeding.
 Biofloc in a form of rich-lipid-protein source could be utilized for
first stages of broodstock's gonads formation and ovary
development.
 Furthermore, production of brood stock in BFT could be located
in small areas close to hatchery facilities, preventing spread of
diseases caused by shrimp transportation.
 APPLICATION IN ANIMAL FOOD
INDUSTRY
 The microbial particles can provide important nutrients such as
protein , lipids , amino acids and fatty acids.
 Biofloc act as raw material to produce “biofloc meal.
 Biofloc meal (also called “single-celled” protein), added to
compounded feed is currently focus of intensive research in
nutrition fields
 Nutritional composition of biofloc differs according to
environmental condition, carbon source applied, TSS level,
salinity, stocking density, light intensity, phytoplankton and
bacterial communities and ratio, etc
 THE USE OF BIOFLOCS AS A BIO-
CONTROL MEASURE
 Despite its huge success, shrimp culture is facing severel outbreaks of
infectious diseases, which have caused significant economic losses.
 Due to the haphazard mishandling of antibiotics in aquaculture,
pathogenic bacteria are now becoming resistant to numerous antibiotics
and as a result, antibiotics are no longer effective in treating bacterial
disease.
 The disruption of quorum sensing, bacterial cell-to-cell communication
with small signal molecules has been proposed as a new strategy to
control bacterial infections in aquaculture
 recently found that bioflocs grown on glycerol were able to protect
gnotobiotic brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) against pathogenic Vibrio
harveyi, and that the beneficial effect was likely due to interference with
the pathogen's quorum sensing system
 Bioflocs might also contain immunostimulatory compounds since biofloc
technology deals with bacteria and bacterial products
BIOFLOC SYSTEMS REDUCE WATER UTILIZATION
AND WASTE GENERATION

Biofloc technology may significantly reduce the quantity of water used.

Its noted that water consumption of biofloc-based tilapia culture system
was 40% lower than that of recirculatingaquaculture system (RAS).
Most of the studies applying biofloc technology confirmed that the N and
P waste in this system could be reduced, corroborating the role of this
system
Although heterotrophic bacteria are the main nitrogen conversion agent,
 biofloc system also facilitate other nitrogen conversion mechanisms
including nitrification, phototrophic N uptake and denitrification (all
dependent on the prevailing environmental conditions).
 CONCLUSION

Biofloc technology (BFT) application offers benefits in improving

aquaculture production that could contribute to the achievement of
sustainable development goals.
This technology could result in higher productivity with less impact
to the environment.
 Furthermore, biofloc systems may be developed and performed in
integration with other food production,thus promoting productive
integrated systems, aiming at producing more food and feed from
the same area of land with fewer input.
THANK YOU
 THE “NATURAL PROBIOTIC”
EFFECT OF BIOFLOC
 Biofloc can be a novel strategy for disease management in contrast to
conventional approaches such as antibiotic, antifungal, probiotic and
prebiotic application. The “natural probiotic” effect in BFT could act
internally and/or externally against, i.e., to Vibrio sp. And ectoparasites,
respectively.
 This effect is promoted by large groups of microorganisms, but mainly
bacteria that is considered the first trophic level in the system.
 Internally, bacteria and its synthesized compounds could act similar to
organic acids and might be effective bio-control agents, also given
beneficial host’s microbial balance in the gut.
 PHB is produced by a widely variety of microorganisms such as Bacillus
sp., Alcaligenes sp., Pseudomonas sp. from soluble organic carbon and is
also involved in bacterial carbon metabolism and energy storage.