<![CDATA[Cambarellus patzcuarensis is a freshwater ornamental crayfish with stable export demand, yet its culture performance is frequently constrained by the limited availability of feeds that resemble its natural trophic niche. This study investigated the potential of biofloc derived from red Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture as a functional natural feed supplement for C. patzcuarensis. A completely randomized design was employed with four treatments: Frozen biofloc biomass (FBB) supplementation at 10%, 15%, and 20% of biomass larva day⁻¹, and a control without FBB, each with three replicates. The plankton abundance in the biofloc suspension in this study was 418,000 ind/mL, which was dominated by the classes Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae, with rotifers as the main zooplankton component. Proximate analysis showed that FBB had high nutritional potential, characterized by high moisture content (91.20%), crude protein (29.10% dw), crude lipid (3.04% dw), crude fiber (0.81% dw), ash (3.65% dw), and carbohydrates (63.40% dw). Water quality throughout the experimental period remained within optimal ranges for C. patzcuarensis rearing. Furthermore, the combined application of commercial feed at a 4% feeding rate with 15% FBB supplementation resulted in relatively improved culture performance, as reflected by a survival rate of 65.0 ± 7.51%, a specific growth rate of 3.59 ± 0.16% g day⁻¹, and a coefficient of variation of 13.31 ± 2.96%. These findings demonstrate that FBB can function as an effective feed supplement from the utilization of aquaculture effluent of the biofloc system, supporting growth performance and culture efficiency of C. patzcuarensis when applied at moderate supplementation levels.]]>
