The effects of replacing unicellular algae with agricultural by-products on growth and survival rate of Artemia franciscana

Main purpose of the present research was to study the effects of replacing green algae with agricultural by-products on growth and survival rate of Artemia franciscana. The study was a 4×2 factorial experiment conducted as a completely randomized design. Factors were different types of diet (wheat bran, rice bran, mixture of wheat and rice bran and the alge (Dunaliella salina) and probiotic inclusion level (0 and 10% of the daily meal). All treatments were in triplicates and the experiment lasted for 17 days post hatch. At the end of the trial, growth and the survival rates were calculated. Results showed that total length of Artemia fed wheat bran and alge with probiotic (8.20±0.03 mm) was the highest and that of group fed wheat and rice bran and algae (6.76±0.03 mm) was the lowest (p0.05). According to the results, it seems that unicellular algae can be replaced with easily affordable agricultural by-products and artemia could convert waste to wealth for the sake of environment and expanding aquaculture enterprise.