Roles of vitamin B1 in an aquaponic system using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Saffron plant (Crocus stavius), and its effects on fish and plant growth

In order to investigate the effects of different levels of vitamin B1 to water, on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Saffron plant (Crocus stativus), growth in an aquaponic system, 240 Nile tilapia fries and 120 corms of saffron were randomly introduced into 12 experimental groups and influenced by treatments of adding 0 (control), 5, 10 and 20 mg L-1 vitamin B1 to water, weekly, for a-60 day experimental period. At the end of the experiment, weight gain and other indices of fish growth performance did not show any significant differences (P≥0.05) among treatments, but some growth performance indices of saffron plants such as corm weight and root weight in treatment of 20 mg L-1 vitamin B1 were significantly higher(P≤0.05) than other treatments. Biochemical parameters in serum showed highest in treatment with 20 mg vitamins B1 per liter of water. The highest amount of glucose and the lowest amount of cortisol in blood serum of fish recorded in treatment of 20 mg L-1 vitamin B1 that they were 139.76±8.8 and 201.13±29.77, respectivly. It was indicated that, adding 5 to 10 mg L-1 of vitamin B1 to water, have a positive effects on the biological conditions of the plant and fish in an aquaponic culture of Nile tilapia and saffron plant system.