Indian Journal of Animal Research

The present study evaluated the natural and synthetic substrate for biofilm formation in in vitro condition and their effect on physico-chemical parameters of water. The four different treatments i.e., control (without substrate), T₁ (sugarcane bagasse), T₂ (PVC), T₃ (coconut husk) and T₄ (bamboo strips) as substrates were used for assessment of biofilm formation and heterotrophic bacterial growth. Physico-chemical parameters of water and total platecolonies were estimated at weekly intervals for five weeks. Results of dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, as well as nutrients like ammonia-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen and nitrite-nitrogen showed significant (p< 0.05) difference in the treatment groups compared with control. The total bacterial count of the substrata significantly (p< 0.05) high in all the treatment groups during the 3^rd week and the highest value was recorded in the treatment T₃ (12.42 × 10³cfucm⁻²). Based on the present in vitro study, it may be concluded that biodegradable substrates especially sugarcane bagasse significantly enhanced the physico-chemical parameters of waters and optimized the favourable conditions for heterotrophic bacterial growth in biofilm, making it the most suitable substrate which can be used in aquaculture system as production enhancement strategy.