Abstract As low saline inland shrimp culture is becoming more prevalent day by day, the application of mineral supplements in pond water has become a necessity to maintain the ionic concentration by fortifying the deficiency of key minerals like calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K). In this study, a 120‐day trial was conducted in earthen ponds, wherein, the benefits of applying mineral supplement in low saline (>5 Practical Salinity Unit, PSU) was evaluated by measuring the animal performance parameters like feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), survival rate, weight gain, mineral composition of experimental animals and the quality of rearing water like pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, hardness, alkalinity, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Vibrio count and phytoplankton population in comparison with control. Our study showed that the application of mineral mixture improved the animal performance in terms of FCR, SGR and body weight. Despite, on supplementation, an increased mineral (Ca, Mg and K) content and improved phytoplankton levels was observed in rearing water whilst corresponding increase in minerals Ca, Mg and K was observed in animals as well. Indicating the improvement in water quality, mineral composition in water and animals and growth performance, affirming good absorption of minerals by animals.
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