Does vertical substrate could influence the dietary protein level and zootechnical performance of the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei reared in a biofloc system?

The biofloc technology (BFT) system has been gaining more space in the world aquaculture scenario. Nowadays, the demand for information regarding BFT has grown, and new studies have been developed with the aim of increasing the system’s productivity without harming the environment. In the present study, two dietary protein levels were evaluated (30 and 35% crude protein CP) with the addition or absence of a vertical substrate within the culture units. Ninety-six Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp juveniles (3.55 ± 0.26 g) were stocked in 12 tanks (eight per tank) with an operative volume of 18 L. Both water quality parameters and the microbial profile were monitored during the trial along with a proximate composition analysis of the shrimp at the end of the trial (6 weeks). No interaction between substrate and protein level was observed ( P