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Biofloc technology for sustainable aquaculture production

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 Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com

Biofloc technology: for sustainable aquaculture

production
Ravi Kumar1, S. K. Samal1 and Laxmi Prasad2
1Scientist,ICAR-Mahatma Gandhi Integrated Farming Research Institute, Piprakothi, east Champaran, Bihar-845429; 2Associate
Professor, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh-224229

ABSTRACT
Biofloc technology is an eco-friendly approach. The microbial community in biofloc system is able to utilize dissolved
nitrogen leached from fish excreta and convert them into microbial protein. Fishmeal being used in aquaculture production
systems as a protein source for the formulation of fish feed, can be significantly replaced by biofloc meal. Biofloc meal could
be utilized in brooder and larval feed to obtain better reproductive/growth performance. Consumption of microorganisms in
this system reduces FCR and subsequently costs of feed, and therefore, this technology can decrease overall cost of fish
production. It can play a significant role in providing foods and nutritional security to the resource poor people.

The biofloc technology (BFT) is a newly emerging frugal
technology for fish cultivation in which nitrogenous
wastes generated from fish/shellfish and unconsumed
feed can be converted to protein rich feed in the form of
biofloc (Crab, 2012). Biofloc is heterogeneous aggregate
of suspended particles and microorganisms such as
bacteria, algae, fungi, invertebrates and detritus, etc,
associated with extracellular polymeric substances
(Hargreaves, 2006). Each floc is held together in a loose
matrix of mucus that is secreted by bacteria and bound by
filamentous microorganisms or electrostatic attraction.
The size of floc ranges between 50 – 200 µm. This
technology requires zero or limited water exchange under
high stocking density, strong aeration for twenty four
hours on daily basis, external carbon source and sunlight
etc (De Schryver, 2008).
The bifloc technology was first developed during early
1970s at Ifremer-COP (French Research Institute for
Exploitation of the Sea, Oceanic Center of Pacific) with
different shrimp species. However, commercial level
application of BFT was started in 1988 at Sopomer farm
and Belize aquaculture farm of Central America. Now,
this technology has been successfully implemented and
expanded in USA, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Brazil,
China, Italy and Indonesia etc. In India, BFT is in its
early developmental phase and getting popularized
among the fish farmers.
Necessity of biofloc fish farming system
Fish plays a vital role in food and nutritional security by
providing one of the most cheapest and nutritious source
of animal protein for over a billion people globally
(World fish Center, 2020). Fish is a rich source of
essential amino acids, oils, vitamins, and minerals.
However, ever growing fish eating population across the
globe posed many challenges before researchers and fish
producers for fulfilling their demands. In India, most of
the farmers are resource poor and fall within the category
of small and marginal farmers. Therefore, they hesitate to
adopt commercial fish farming technologies which
requires a huge capital and operational investments such
as in case of re-circulatory aquaculture system (RAS),
intensive fish farming etc. For existing aquaculture
systems, the most significant and limiting factors are
land/water availability and cost of fish feed which
accounts for ~ 60 percent of the total production cost.
Therefore, alternative aquaculture systems as of higher
productivity require lesser land, water and money are
needed. Studies have reported that in conventional
aquaculture, only 15-25 percent of feed protein is
retained by the fish or shrimp and rest is excreted out
mostly as ammonium, whereas protein utilization in
biofloc system can be increased upto 45 percent
(Burford, 2003). In this view, bifloc technology can help
in increasing aquaculture production in sustainable
manner while preserving natural resources.
Concept of biofloc technology
Initially, biofloc system was developed to improve the
ecological control over the aquatic animal production or
to treat the waste water, but, now it has gained
importance as an approach in aquaculture (Anjalee,
2015).The sustainable approach of such system is based
on growth of microorganism in the culture medium, least
amount or zero water exchange, high dissolved oxygen
level and high C:N ratio (Suneetha, 2018). The C:N ratio
need to 15-20, which is maintained through the addition
of carbohydrate source such as molasses, starch and
tapioca etc (Avnimelech, 2009).Under such conditions,

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 Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com

microbes take up the ammonium from the water and Advantages of biofloc technology
produce microbial protein (Hargreaves, 2013). The
 Eco-friendly culture system
microorganisms in the water tend to aggregate and form
 Improves land and water use efficiency
bio-flocs that can be filtered and consumed by
 Limited or zero water exchange
fish/shrimp. Typically, there are 10-1000 million
 Higher productivity
microbial cells per cm3 of pond water. These
 Higher bio-security
microorganisms (biofloc) have two key roles to play: (i)
 Reduces water pollution
maintenance of water quality, by the uptake of nitrogen
 Cost-effective
compounds producing microbial protein; and (ii)
 It reduces the pressure on capture fisheries i.e.
increasing culture viability by minimizing feed
use of cheaper food fish and trash fish for feed
conversion ratio and feed costs.
formulation
Composition and nutritional value of biofloc
Disadvantages
Biofloc is an assemblage of suspended particles and
 Increased energy requirement for mixing and
variety of microorganisms mostly bacteria and planktonic
aeration
organisms associated with extracellular polymeric
 Alkalinity supplementation required
substances and form together as flocs. Large flocs can be
 Increased pollution potential from nitrate
seen with the naked eye, but most of them are
accumulation
microscopic. Nutritional composition of bioflocs varies
 Inconsistent and seasonal performance for
according to ecological state, carbon source supplied,
sunlight-exposed systems
total suspended solids, salinity, stocking density, light
 Risky to implement at farm level
intensity, plankton and bacteria etc. In dried biomass of
 The simplified idea of recycling excreta of
bioflocs protein, lipid and ash content could vary from 12
aquatic organisms into feed might upset the
to 50, 0.5 to 15 and 13 to 46 percent, respectively. It is a
consumers from buying these products
good source of several vitamins and minerals,
particularly phosphorous. The addition of biofloc meal, Conclusion
infeed is currently being investigated. However, to Biofloc technology can enable aquaculture grow towards
produce biofloc meal, drying, milling and storage an environmental friendly approach. Also, microbial
processes are required which could affect the nutritional community in biofloc system is able to rapidly utilize
quality of it. dissolved nitrogen leached from fish/shrimp excreta and
Probiotic effects of biofloc unconsumed feed and convert them into microbial
protein. It is realized that fishmeal being used in
It has been shown that the immune systems of fish and
aquaculture production systems as a protein source for
shrimp are enhanced in the presence of bioflocs and there
the formulation of fish and shrimp feed, can be
is lesser incidence of diseases in biofloc systems. Studies
significantly replaced by biofloc meal. In aquaculture,
have reported probiotic effects of bioflocs against
biofloc meal could be utilized in brooder and larval feed
Streptococcus, Vibrio sp. and ectoparasites, and might be
to obtain better growth performances. Consumption of
effective bio-control agents (Crab, 2010). Instead of that
microorganisms in this system reduces FCR and
the fecundity of Tilapia and shrimp has reported to be
subsequently costs of feed, and therefore, this technology
increased under biofloc systems. Biofloc can be a novel
can decrease overall cost of fish production and hence
strategy for disease management in contrast to
prices of fish and its product. This can play a significant
conventional approaches.
role in providing foods and nutritional security to the
Species suitable for cultivation under biofloc resource poor people.
technology
References
1. Shrimps: P. monodon, L. vannamei, L. stylirostris M.
Anjalee D.C.A and Kurup, B.M. (2015). Biofloc
rosenbergiiand F. merguiensis
Technology: An Overview and its application in
2. Fish: Tilapia, Pangasius, Indian Major Carps and
animal food industry. International Journal of
Exotic Major Carps etc.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, 5(1):1-20.

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 Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com

Avnimelech, Y. (2009). Biofloc Technology, Second DeSchryver, P., Crab, R., Defroit, T., Boon,N. and
Edition. World Aquaculture Society, Baton Verstraete, W. (2008). The basics of biofloc
Rouge, LA. technology: the added value for aquaculture.
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Burford, M.A., P.J. Thompson, R.P. McIntosh, R.H. Bau-
man, and Pearson. D.C. (2003). Nutrient and Hargreaves, J.A. (2006). Photosynthetic suspended
microbial dynamics in high-intensity, zero- growth systems in aquaculture. Aquacultural
exchange shrimp ponds in Belize. Aquaculture, Engineering, 34:344-363.
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Hargreaves, J.A. (2013). Biofloc Production Systems for
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Verstraete, W. (2010). The application
Suneetha, K., Kavitha, K. and Darwin, C.H. (2018).
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