FEEDING EXPERIMENT OF ZOOPLANKTON (ARTEMIA SPP.) WITH MICROALGAE CULTIVATED IN TREATED MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER

Abstract

 This study aimed to feed zooplankton (Artemia spp.), which is widely used for seedling production of fishes for aquaculture, with microalgae cultivated in municipal wastewater treated with standard activated sludge process and chlorine disinfection. The microalgae cultivated in the treated wastewater without any supplements of nutrients was occupied (>95%) by class Chlorophyceae, among which species Chlorococcales was found most frequently. The microalgae was recovered from the treated wastewater after the cultivation, dried, ground and then used for the test of feeding larva of Artemia spp. for 10 days. For comparison, this zooplankton was also tested with a commercial feed and no feeding. In the feeding experiment, the population of Artemia spp. gradually decreased in all of the feeding conditions, probably due to environmental carrying capacity, inversely with the growing size of its body. The size of Artemia spp. fed by the microalgae for 10 days was 16% larger than those by the commercial feed and with no feeding. The microalgae feeding for 10 days could achieved a higher yield of Artemia spp. than the commercial feed probably because it has a high content of carbon and can supply purine required by the larva. These results revealed the availability of the microalgae originated from and cultivated in treated municipal wastewater as a feed for the larva of Artemia spp.