Optimizing the technique for replacement of unicellular algae with agricultural by-products in feeding Artemia urmiana and parthenogenetic Artemia

In order to assess the maximum replacement possibility of unicellular green algae with cheap food sources for feeding Artemia, two strains of Artemia urmiana and parthenogenetic Artemia were fed under laboratory condition using wheat bran, soybean meal and 50/50% mixed diet of wheat bran/soybean, each in 12 different concentrations together with different rations of Dunaliella salina for 15 days. The results were compared with those fed only on algae D. salina as control group. At the end of the experiment, control groups in each two strains (with 9.11mm growth and 86.25% survival in A. urmiana and 8.55mm growth and 85% survival in parthenogenetic Artemia) had almost the best condition. In A. urmiana treatments 95.8-88% replacement for algae of wheat bran, treatment 94% replacement for algae of soybean and treatments 97-94% replacement for algae of mixed wheat bran/ soybean showed no significant differences with control in both growth and survival. In parthenogenetic Artemia treatments 94-82% replacement for algae of wheat bran, treatments 91-88% replacement for algae of soybean and treatments 91-82% replacement for algae of mixed wheat bran/soybean showed no significant differences with their control in both growth and survival. According to the results, it seems that single-cell algae and their production requires exorbitant spending and personnel which can be replaced with easily affordable agricultural wastes, without need to specialized staff.