Assessment of Locally Available Substrates for Enhancing Sustainable Moina macrocopa Production

Abstract

Artemia is commonly used to feed fish larvae, but its high cost, specific hatching conditions, and limited local availability make it less accessible in developing countries. Moina macrocopa, a nutritionally rich and widely distributed zooplankton, offers a promising low-cost alternative, though knowledge on its large-scale production and feeding techniques remains limited. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of different animal manures and food waste as substrates in the mass culture of Moina macrocopa, to identify the most effective and sustainable method for maximizing its production in terms of both quality and quantity. To assess the efficacy of various locally accessible substrates for the sustainable mass culture of Moina macrocopa, three laboratory experiments were carried out. Four treatments soy milk plus poultry manure, rice bran plus fish meal, cow dung plus yeast, and cow dung alone were applied to a pure culture of M. macrocopa that was fed with Chlorella sp. Moina population counts were taken every day for seven days throughout each experiment, which was conducted under controlled circumstances with constant aeration. The combination of yeast and cow dung produced the greatest average population (228.16 individuals per 600 ml) among the treatments, suggesting that this substrate is the most efficient and sustainable choice for producing Moina macrocopa on a wide scale.