Conversion of Shrimp Aquaculture Waste Into Nutritious Floc Using Taro Flour With Varied C/N Ratios: A Sustainable Approach for Aquafeed Production

Waste management is a critical challenge in the aquaculture industry, particularly in the cultivation of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). This study explores the potential of converting shrimp aquaculture waste into a nutritious floc biomass by incorporating taro flour as a carbon source at varying carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratios. A completely randomized design was employed, with treatments consisting of five different C/N ratios (control, 12, 15, 18, and 21) and four replicates per treatment. The results revealed that the different C/N ratios significantly influenced floc formation time, floc volume, floc biomass, floc size, and the floc’s crude protein content (p < 0.05). The treatment with the highest C/N ratio (21) demonstrated the most efficient floc formation, achieving a floc volume of 247.5 ml/L, a biomass of 34.21 g/L, and a floc size of 339 µm within 4 days. Furthermore, the crude protein content in the floc increased from 18.37% in the waste to 39.75%. The floc composition predominantly included Bacillus spp., Chlorella sp., and Alona sp. across all treatments, while at the highest a C/N ratio (T4), unique featured microorganisms including Melosira sp., Paramecium sp., and Chroococcus sp. were observed. These findings suggest that shrimp aquaculture waste can be effectively transformed into a highly nutritious material, with the potential to be developed as a sustainable protein source for aquafeed.