For some environments the ability to have Bacillus spores present on a constant basis may offer solutions that traditional approaches can not.    Typically spores are used in a wide variety of environments to degrade organic matter.    Organic matter accumulates all of the time under routine cultural conditions.

 

Whether you are growing fish or shrimp in fresh water, brackish or full strength seawater as they grow they consume more feed and add more waste to the environment.   Closed systems try and moderate this either by recirculating the water and removing waste products using a variety of approaches (RAS) or encouraging the growth of assemblages of micro and macro-organisms to digest the material in situ (biofloc).  Open systems discharge water directly into the environment where allowed by law and when not into settling ponds prior to discharge.

 

MicroPRO+++ was developed as a means of delivering spores on a more or less constant basis.   Far too many farmers have been persuaded to grow bacteria up on pond side for regular addition.   This can be justified if it is done responsibly and correctly although the reality is that this is only useful from the standpoint of predigesting carbohydrate substrates that shrimp readily consume, reducing FCRs.   As a means of cleaning up the water this rarely works and the risks far outweigh the benefits. 

 

Without ensuring that every batch contains non-pathogenic bacteria this approach, unfortunately, is only one more example of the fundamental lack of sustainability of shrimp farming in its current form.   There are not many microbiologists (by education and experience-not self declared) who would tell you that this approach does not carry with it significant risk both to the animals and the farmers themselves.  Highly virulent strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus kill shrimp and humans with some strains causing death in humans in hours.  

 

As long as some water is flowing across the surface of the cylinder, it will dissolve.   Larger cylinders take longer to dissolve.   As it gradually dissolves, spores from the potent enzyme producing species and strains present enter the water column and germinate.   As long as the cylinder continues to dissolve, the spores are released.   In this manner Bacillus levels are maintained in the water column more or less continuously.   This poses no risk to the farmers or their crop and requires minimal set up.

 

One of the ingredients in the cylinders is glycerol.   It is diluted as the cylinder dissolves.    It is important that the cylinder is suspended in the water column in a manner that discourages animals from getting onto and eating it.    Since this product acts largely through the water column it may be necessary to continue the occasional use of PRO4000X tablets for application for areas where organics continue to accumulate.