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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #246953
Title: Evaluation of a low-head recirculating aquaculture system used for rearing Florida pompano to market size

Author
item Pfeiffer, Tim
item Riche, Martin

Submitted to: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/25/2010
Publication Date: 4/1/2011
Citation: Pfeiffer, T.J., Riche, M.A. 2011. Evaluation of a low-head recirculating aquaculture system used for rearing Florida pompano to market size. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 42:198-208.

Interpretive Summary: A low-head recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) was evaluated for the production Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus from juvenile to market size. The RAS consisted of three dual-drain, 3-m diameter culture tanks of 7.8 m3 volume each, two 0.7-m3 moving bed bioreactors filled 67% with K1 kaldness media for biofiltration, two degassing towers for CO2 removal and aeration, a drum filter with a 40 micron screen for solids removal, and a 1-hp axial flow pump for water circulation. Supplemental oxygenation was provided in each tank by ultrafine ceramic diffusers and system salinity was maintained at 7.0. Juvenile pompano weighing approximately 43 g each were stocked into each of the three tanks at an initial density of 12.9 kg/m3 or 300 fish/tank. After 306 days of culture the weight of the fish harvested from each tank ranged from 630 to 645 g with survival ranging from 57.7 to 81.7 %. During the culture period the average water use per kg fish was 3.26 m3 or 1.82 m3 per harvested fish. Power consumption per kg fish was 47.2 kW or 22.4 kW per fish harvested. The volumetric TAN removal rate of the bioreactors averaged 127.6 g TAN removed /m3 media-d with an average of 33.0% removal per pass. The average water flow through the filters was 220.2 L/min. The evaluation of the low-head system achieved the goal of culturing pompano from juvenile to market size but additional system modifications are warranted to enhance research production closer to commercial levels (> 60 kg/m3).

Technical Abstract: A low-head recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) was evaluated for the production Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus from juvenile to market size. The RAS consisted of three dual-drain, 3-m diameter culture tanks of 7.8 m3 volume each, two 0.7-m3 moving bed bioreactors filled 67% with K1 kaldness media for biofiltration, two degassing towers for CO2 removal and aeration, a drum filter with a 40 micron screen for solids removal, and a 1 hp axial flow pump for water circulation. Supplemental oxygenation was provided in each tank by ultrafine ceramic diffusers and system salinity was maintained at 7.0. Juvenile pompano weighing approximately 43 g each were stocked into each of the three tanks at an initial density of 12.9 kg/m3 or 300 fish/tank. After 306 days of culture the mean weight of the fish harvested from each tank ranged from 630 to 645 g with survival ranging from 57.7 to 81.7 %. During the system culture period the average water use per kg fish was 3.26 m3 or 1.82 m3 per harvested fish. Power consumption per kg fish was 47.2 kW or 22.4 kW per fish harvested. Maximum feed load rate 0.22 kg/m3 and maximum fish density in the tanks was 19.9 kg/m3. The mean volumetric TAN removal rate of the bioreactors was 127.6 + or - 58.3 g TAN removed /m3 media-d with an average of 33.0% removal per pass. Mean flow through the filters was 220.2 L/min. The results of this research suggest that system modifications are warranted to enhance research production closer to commercial levels (> 60 kg/m3).