Nanocalcium of Pila ampullacea Shell incorporated into Feed on Molting and Growth Performance of Crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus

Abstract

Freshwater snail Pila ampullacea shell can be used as alternative for calcium source. The shell has been known as solid waste and it also has been a major problem in the agriculture field. The present study aims to determine the effect of nanocalcium made from P.ampullacea shell to improve the molting and growth performance of red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. A laboratory study was conducted for four weeks of feeding trials using 120 freshwater crayfish C. quadricarinatus. A total of four different levels of nanocalcium regimes including 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% were applied for experimental treatments and each treatment regime consisted of three replicates. Data was collected on molting frequency, absolute weight growth, specific growth rate, survival rate, food conversion ratio, and water quality parameters. The results suggests that dietary nanocalcium treatments were significantly different in absolute weight growth, specific growth rate, and molting frequency, survival rate. However, the nanocalcium of P.ampullacea shell showed no significant difference in feed conversion ratio. The highest absolute weight growth, specific growth rate, molting frequency, survival rate was obtained from 2% of dietary P.ampullacea nanocalcium.