Growth of Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei Cultured on Inland Low‐Salinity Pond Soils

Low‐salinity inland ponds in west Alabama were used to determine whether soil composition and water ionic profiles influenced shrimp growth. Soils from four farms were collected and placed into individual tanks equipped with airlift biofilters and 2.5‰ reconstituted seawater. Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were cultured for 42 d. Growth, survival, water, and sediment ionic profiles were analyzed at the end of the trial. There were no differences in survival among treatments. Shrimp grown on Farm 1 soil had the highest weight gain (4,244%), while shrimp cultured on Farm 3 soil grew the least (3,127%). Water placed in the tanks with Farm 1 soil had a lower calcium concentration (156 mg/L) and higher potassium (58 mg/L) and magnesium (80 mg/L), respectively, than water in the tanks with Farm 3 and Farm 4 soils. Differences were observed in soil pore water for potassium, sodium, exchangeable cations, sand–silt–clay composition, and organic matter. Sand–silt–clay composition indicated that soil from Farm 1 was characterized as sandy clay loam, while soils from Farms 2, 3, and 4 were clay loam. Shrimp growth was higher on sandy clay loam soil.