During cultivation, the prawns in the treatment ponds and the control pond were fed twice daily (09:00 and 16:00 h) with a commercial shrimp diet (Silver Cup, Group El Pedregal Silver Cup®, Toluca, Mexico) containing 35% protein. The food was distributed around the perimeter and the central area in the ponds to reduce the bull effect. The food level was adjusted monthly, based on growth after the initial biomass of prawns during the first month of cultivation.