Importance of potassium in low saline shrimp farming.

Hello everyone:

        Most of us doing shrimp farming in low saline water only... Right?

       P.vannamei has tolerance capacity for wide range of salinities. So it is easy for doing in low saline water.

       In my blog, I posted about advantages and disadvantages of culture in low saline water.. in this major disadvantage is deficient of mineral..

       If one region have salinity of 5 ppt then other region also have the same salinity means, we can't able to tell, both of water have same ionic composition... It changes based on places, region.....

Minerals:

           Some of major minerals are very important for the shrimp growth and survival. Ca, Mg, Na, k, Cl. On these important minerals, Most of us faces the potassium deficiency in water.

Next Magnesium is deficient in most of the region... Based on ionic analysis of water, you have to add minerals to your water... Some of trace Minerals also must be present in pond. In this we can see only about major minerals.

* Important - I posted about some of soil characters, remaining things will be posted. Whatever you add minerals, the availability of these minerals also fully depends on your soil quality and capacity. 

       Example : If your water have potassium deficiency, then you add potassium to the water. The pond soil can absorb the potassium at low pH . It cause deficient for some time. The cationic exchange capacity of your soil also plays important role in minerals availability of your pond.

Requirement:

         Generally all are know the ration of minerals that should be maintained throughout the culture for better growth and survival.

        

             Ca: Mg - 1: 3.4

               Na : k - 28: 1

             Mg : Ca: k - 3:1:1

          Cl : Na : Mg - 16:9:1

  These ratios are calculated by the minerals which is present in the saline water of 35 ppt.

    From the many manuals, the multiplication factor is mentioned to reach the desired concentration of minerals....

                  Na - 304.5

                  K - 10.7

                  Mg : 39.1

                  Ca : 11.6

                  Cl : 551

                  

If your pond have 4 ppt salinity means, then you can multiply your pond salinity with this individual factors mentioned above. 

For 4 ppt,

If your pond have K - 20 ppm means, you multiple your pond salinity with the above mentioned factor.

            K (potassium) = 4 (your pond salinity)× 10.7 ( multiplication factor) = 42.8 ppm. So, 42.8 ppm of potassium is required. But your pond have only 20ppm , remaining 22 ppm is required. So, by this you can calculate and certain range of minerals.

       

Likewise you can multiple with all factors, and based on the results you can add minerals in low saline water...

Is important to maintain all these ratios in correct manner?

        In low saline water, we can't manage these minerals ratio. It is better to maintain somewhat average .. First , identify which mineral is mostly deficient from the desired concentration, then add that minerals at certain concentration....

        These all mineral with optimum ratio are not taken by shrimp, shrimp takes in very low amount by osmoregulation.( Visit importance of minerals during molting in my blog).

          We have to check our ionic composition of water at regular intervals. It is must. After checking you can add minerals to your pond.

          In shrimp body, potassium plays major role in the nerve impulse transmission.

           Potassium is one of the important component in shell formation.

            It plays important role in the intracellular fluid formation and also maintain intracellular osmotic pressure.

           Main role in glucose metabolism.

Note: Potassium must be present in feed and also present on surrounding environment. Many of researches told, if your diet don't have potassium but your water have sufficient potassium means, that time also the growth of shrimp will be reduced. Minerals must present in both diet and environment.

Other  functions:

      Generally, Minerals plays important role enzymes and hormones function in their body.

      Involved in maintaining osmotic balance between body and surrounding environment.

      Involved in metabolic process and energy transport.

       Reactions happens in body mainly by the presence of enzyme and catalyst ( they initiate the process). So, minerals plays major role in this formation.

      0.1-0.3% of the diet must have potassium for the proper body function of shrimp.

       Mainly involved in the protein synthesis .

       Some of the researches told, if you maintains optimum minerals percentage in your pond, then it reduces oxygen consumption, FCR, Ammonia excretion in shrimp.

These are the major importance of minerals, the above said function is related to all minerals. But, most of the deficient of minerals are mainly due to potassium and magnesium in low saline water.

It is necessary to check and correct ionic composition of your water before going for stocking....

Soil quality, minerals availability, good feed, good management, proper biosecurity, will leads to good culture.

                           Thank you 😊.

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