Major Mineral Composition of Sea water Compare to Rock Salt Water For Nursing Macrobrachium rosenbergii larvae

Abstract

The comparison of the main minerals of seawater (SW) and rock salt water (RW) was carried out at 12 ppt. It was found that the RW had higher chloride (Cl-) and sodium (Na-) while sulphate, magnesium, potassium and calcium were lower in the RW than in the SW. Magnesium sulphate (MgSO4), potassium sulphate (K2SO4), magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) were added into the RW prior to analysis. This was then used to nurse the early hatched prawn larvae and compared to the SW and the unsupplemented RW. The results showed that all larvae in the unsupplemented RW died on the first day of nursing. On the other hand, in the mineral-added RW, it was found that the larvae developed to post-larvae with 29.75±1.94% survival rate which was similar to that of the control in SW (33.50±1.65%).