In the present study, we prepared silver nanoparticles immobilized on silica beads (Ag/TEPA-Den-SiO2) and examined their potential for removing luminous Vibrio sp. Persian1 from seawater used to culture Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei post-larvae. The Ag/TEPA-Den-SiO2 sample was characterized by TEM, FE-SEM/EDS, FT-IR and ICP-OES and its antibacterial activity assayed by a test tube test and flow test using water filters filled with Ag/TEPA-Den-SiO2 as the filter media. The results of the test tube test indicated that no Vibrio sp. Persian1 was detectable after 2-h contact. The filter column that contained Ag/TEPA-Den-SiO2 + silver absorbent inactivated 100% of the bacteria after passage of seawater through the column for 12-h at a flow rate of 0.5 l/min. The survival rate and growth performance of post-larvae cultured in seawater treated with an antibacterial filter improved significantly compared with the control.
