Effects of different carbon sources on the growth of the monkey river prawn, Macrobrachium lar, and nitrogen–phosphorus uptake by plants in a biofloc aquaponics system

Gamal M. Samadan; Aras Syazili; Muhammad Nur Findra; Supyan Supyan; La Sara; Suryani Suryani; Juharni Juharni

doi:10.22034/ijab.v14i5.2772

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Gamal M. Samadan
gm.samadan74@gmail.com
Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Khairun University, Ternate, Indonesia.
Aras Syazili Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Khairun University, Ternate, Indonesia.
Muhammad Nur Findra Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Khairun University, Ternate, Indonesia.
Supyan Supyan Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Khairun University, Ternate, Indonesia.
La Sara Buton Marine Technology Institute, Pasarwajo, 93754, Indonesia.
Suryani Suryani Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Khairun University, Ternate, Indonesia.
Juharni Juharni Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Khairun University, Ternate, Indonesia.

Vol. 14 No. 5 (2026): In Press

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September 11, 2026

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This study evaluated the effects of different carbon sources on the growth performance of Monkey River prawn, Macrobrachium lar, and on nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by leafy vegetables in a biofloc aquaponics system on Ternate Island. A completely randomized design was used with four treatments: molasses, rice bran, tapioca, and a carbon?free control, each with three replicates. Juvenile M. lar (0.035±0.001 g) were stocked at 30 prawns per 100 L tank and reared for 6 weeks, while water spinach, lettuce, and pakcoy were grown in media beds receiving recirculating effluent. Molasses significantly increased absolute growth and survival of M. lar compared with other treatments, although specific growth rate was similar to the control, and feed conversion ratio did not differ among treatments. Water quality variables remained within acceptable ranges for freshwater prawns and were not affected by the carbon source. Carbon source and plant species significantly influenced plant nitrogen content, with the highest N percentages generally observed in mustard green and celery under the control treatment, whereas molasses tended to reduce tissue N, indicating stronger microbial competition for dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Phosphorus content was less responsive to main effects but showed significant carbon–plant interactions, with pakcoy under rice bran and control exhibiting the greatest P accumulation. These results demonstrate that molasses?driven biofloc enhances M. lar production, while careful selection of plant species and carbon sources can improve nutrient recovery, supporting the development of sustainable biofloc aquaponics for freshwater prawns in small?island environments.

Samadan, G. M., Syazili, A., Findra, M. N., Supyan, S., Sara, L., Suryani, S., & Juharni, J. (2026). Effects of different carbon sources on the growth of the monkey river prawn, Macrobrachium lar, and nitrogen–phosphorus uptake by plants in a biofloc aquaponics system. International Journal of Aquatic Biology, 14(5), 106–118. https://doi.org/10.22034/ijab.v14i5.2772

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