H. Fourooghifard - Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran,
A. Matinfar - Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
M. S. Mortazavi - Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran,
K. Roohani Ghadikolaee - Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bandar Abbas, Iran,
M. Mirbakhsh - Shrimp Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bushehr, Iran

In this study, a ۲×۳ factorial design  with two levels of  shrimp density (۲۵ and ۵۰ shrimp per m۲) and three  levels of  red algae density (۰, ۲۰۰ and ۴۰۰g per m۲) was applied to calculate  nitrogen and phosphorous budgets in the integrated culture of Litopenaeus vannamei with Gracilaria corticata  during ۴۵ days in a zero water exchange system. Juveniles of L. vannamei (۵.۸۲±۰.۱۱ g) and G. corticata were cultured in ۱۸ round ۱ m۳ poly ethylene tanks. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and salinity were measured once every ۳ days.  Results indicated that shrimp density had a significant effect on pH and DO in the morning and in the afternoon. The algal density didn’t have a significant effect on pH and DO in culturing tanks (p>۰.۰۵). According to the results of this study, the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus input to the tanks during a ۴۵- day culturing period was from feeds. Shrimp and algal densities significantly affect the concentration of total ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and phosphate in water and an increase in shrimp density led to an increase of these compounds whereas, increasing the algal density led to the reduction of these compounds. Results indicated that increasing the density of G.corticata in all treatments, led to an increase in biomass of harvested shrimp and the co-culture of G. corticata with L.vannamei decreased the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in both water and sediments and improved the water quality of L.vannamei culture.

Nitrogen budget, Phosphorous budget, Litopenaeus vannamei, Gracilaria corticata, Zero water exchange