Effects of weekend starvation and the duration of daily feeding on production parameters of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

It would often be practical to starve the cultivated fishes over the weekends, e.g. to save in labour costs. We evaluated the possibility that domesticated juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) could compensate for the lost growth of the 2-day weekend starvation by either hyperphagic response and/or by lower feed conversion ratio, compared to the fish fed every day in an 8-week experiment. Rainbow trout (initial weight c. 30 g, temperature 16 °C) starved during the weekends were able to increase feed intake during the weekdays clearly above the intake of the control fish after the first two weekends, also seen as an increase of the compensation coefficients over the last four weeks o…

Is Aquaponics Beneficial in Terms of Fish and Plant Growth and Water Quality in Comparison to Separate Recirculating Aquaculture and Hydroponic Systems?

Aquaponics is a technique where a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) and hydroponics are integrated to grow plants and fish in a closed system. We investigated if the growth of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and baby spinach (Spinacia oleracea) would be affected in a coupled aquaponic system compared to the growth of the fish in RAS or plants in a hydroponic system, all systems as three replicates. We also investigated the possible effects of plants on the onset of nitrification in biofilters and on the concentration of off-flavor-causing agents geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in rainbow trout flesh and spinach. For the fish grown in aquaponics, the weight gain and speci…

The effect of the length of repeated feed deprivation between single meals on compensatory growth of pikeperch Sander lucioperca

Abstract Juvenile pikeperch ( Sander lucioperca ) were reared for 58 days according to one of the following feeding regimes: control (fed once every day); 1 + 1 (fed every other day); 1 + 3 (one-day feeding followed by a three-day feed deprivation); and 1 + 6 (fed once a week). Control fish had significantly higher growth rate than the 1 + 3 and 1 + 6 fish, and consequently the final weight of the controls (125.2 ± SD 30.0 g, n  = 4) was higher than that of the 1 + 3 (84.0 ± 17.9 g) and 1 + 6 fish (64.7 ± 7.2 g). Fish in the treatment groups were capable to compensate for the reduced number of feedings by increasing intake relative to the controls when feed was available. This hyperphagic r…

Longer wavelengths of light improve the growth, intake and feed efficiency of individually reared juvenile pikeperchSander lucioperca(L.)

We tested the effects of monochromatic light on the specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake and feed efficiency (FE) of juvenile pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.). Pikeperch were reared individually for 42 days in aquaria covered with blue, green, yellow or red gelatin filters or white paper (control; n=5). Linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive effect of longer wavelengths of light on the condition factor (CF), FE and SGR. The final weight, SGR and CF were significantly higher in fish reared under red than under white light, and FE was better under green, yellow and red light than under white light (Dunnett's post hoc test, P<0.05) while blue was comparable to white li…

Nutrient Assimilation by First-Feeding African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus , Assessed Using Stable Isotope Analysis

Knowledge of ingredients assimilation and biomass contribution to recipient fish is important in feed formulation. The stable isotopes of 13C and 15N were used to investigate the assimilation and biomass contribution of bambaranut, Voandzeia subterranea, meal (BNM), corn, Zea mays, meal (CM) and fish meal (FM), in FM substituted diets of first feeding African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, during a 30-d experiment. The catfish larvae were stocked at 40 fish/15 L three replicate glass aquaria. Larvae were fed with experimental diets varying FM, BNM, and CM. Proportions of FM : BNM : CM in the experimental diets were: feed 1 (F1) 60:20:20; feed 2 (F2) 40:40:20; feed 3 (F3) 20:60:20; and feed 4 …

Screening of microalgae and LED grow light spectra for effective removal of dissolved nutrients from cold-water recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) wastewater

Popularity of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is increasing. Because of the high water recirculation rate, dissolved nutrients originating from fish feed are concentrated enough in RAS wastewater (WW) to enable growth of primary producers, e.g. microalgae. This study evaluated nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) removal efficiency of ten temperate zone freshwater microalgae species during their exponential growth phase in unfiltered RAS WW at 17 ± 0.5 °C. Growth and nutrient uptake efficiency of six green and four non-green microalgae strains were compared between WW and reference growth medium in batch monocultures. The effect of three different LED grow light…

Replacement of fishmeal with corn gluten meal in feeds for juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) does not affect oxygen consumption during forced swimming

Abstract We compared oxygen consumption (MO 2 , mg/kg/h) of c. 80 g rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) in an intermittent-flow swim respirometer at 15 °C. Before the tests the fish were grown in flow through tanks (15 °C) with either fishmeal (FM) or corn gluten meal (CGM) based diets (c. 52% protein) for a period of 3–4.5 months. Ten individuals from both treatment groups were fasted for 48 h before the swim test, which consisted of 18 loops of 210 s over three different periods: acclimation period (6 loops at 0.5 body lengths per s, BL/s), exercise period (8 loops at increased speed from 1 to 2.5 BL/s with recovery loops at 0.5 BL/s), and a recovery period (four loops at 0.5 BL/s). We …

Effect of Feed Protein : Lipid Ratio on Growth Parameters of African Catfish Clarias gariepinus after Fish Meal Substitution in the Diet with Bambaranut (Voandzeia subterranea) Meal and Soybean (Glycine max) Meal

Fishmeal (FM) was substituted with soybean meal (Glycine max) (SBM) and bambaranut meal (Voandzeia subterranea) (BNM) in 10 experimental African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, diets. Feed formulation was designed using mixture model. The inclusion level of the three protein ingredients varied between 0% and 60%. Remaining 40% comprised of basal ingredients kept constant for all 10 feeds. African catfish of average initial weight 35.2 ± 0.9 g were fed with one of the treatment diets for 28 days. The protein:lipid ratios of the diets (range 1.5–3.4:1) were used in evaluating the feed utilization and growth of the fish. We found that catfish performances were mainly depending on ingredients and …

Light intensity preference of juvenile pikeperch Sander lucioperca (L.)

Light intensity preference of the pikeperch was tested in 1-m2 tanks divided into four lateral compartments with a hole in the middle to allow the fish to move between compartments. Two experiments were carried out with both 0+ and 1+ pikeperch: one testing intensities from 25 to 300 lx and the other from 1 to 50 lx. Light preference was observed individually for 5 days at 8, 11, 14 and 17 h. On the first and fifth day, the preference was tested without differences in light intensity (control). In both experiments, both age groups showed preference for the lowest available light intensity. Preference for low light intensity in pikeperch may be related to innate activity and feeding behaviou…

Seasonal and ontogenetic variability in stomach size of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.)

Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) were sampled in April, from May to June and at the end of August to test whether the current season (i.e. feeding conditions) affects the fishes’ stomach size (i.e. volume and weight). A wide range of size data were analysed to reveal the relationship between fish size (length and weight) and stomach size. No significant differences in length-specific stomach volume or stomach weight were found in fish sampled at different times of the year. However, there were differences between seasons in the size of the stomach in relation to body weight, as length-specific body weight changes during the year because of the development of gametes and changes in nutriti…

Efficacy of clove oil and ethanol against Saprolegnia sp. and usability as antifungal agents during incubation of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) eggs

Inhibitory concentrations of clove oil and ethanol against growth of Saprolegnia sp. hyphae were screened by a modification of the hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed MicroPlate (HeMP) method and their usability as antifungal agents during incubation of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss eggs was tested. In vitro experiment showed that in continuous static exposure, clove oil at 100 mg L−1 significantly inhibited the growth of Saprolegnia, whereas in bath exposures, clove oil at 500 mg L−1 had no significant effect at any exposure time tested (15, 60 and 240 min), but clove oil at 10 000 mg L−1 significantly inhibited growth at all exposure times. Clove oil and ethanol treatments had no visible e…

Student-generated instructional videos facilitate learning through positive emotions

The central focus of this study is a learning method in which university students produce instructional videos about the content matter as part of their learning process, combined with other learning assignments. The rationale for this is to promote a more multimodal pedagogy, and to provide students opportunities for a more learner-centred, motivating, active, engaging and productive role in their learning process. As such we designed a ‘video course’ where the students needed to produce an instructional video which could be used for university teaching. In addition to producing the video, the students needed to write a literature review of the topic of the video and a learning journal. At…

Effect of stocking time on yield and location of recapture in two forms of brown trout (Salmo trutta) when stocked in respect to migration activity

Abstract Tagged 2-year-old trout smolts, Salmo trutta , were stocked into River Isojoki in 1996, 1997 and 1998 (a sea trout strain), and Lake Konnevesi in 1997 and 1998 (a brown trout strain) in April, May or June–July. Stocking dates were determined in respect to the migration activity of 100 PIT-tagged fish held in the laboratory. Migration activity was relatively similar in both trout forms each year. In April, movement activity was low; in May, movement activity of the PIT-tagged fish increased and in June–July, movement had ceased. There was a general tendency for lower migration activity in maturing males than for immature fish, but differences were not statistically significant every…

Fish Welfare in Aquaponic Systems: Its Relation to Water Quality with an Emphasis on Feed and Faeces—A Review

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish) and hydroponic cultivation of plants. This review examines fish welfare in relation to rearing water quality, fish feed and fish waste and faeces to develop a sustainable aquaponic system where the co-cultured organisms, fish, bacteria in biofilters and plants, should be considered holistically in all aquaponics operations. Water quality parameters are the primary environmental consideration for optimizing aquaponic production and for directly impacting fish welfare/health issues and plant needs. In aquaponic systems, the uptake of nutrients should be maximised for the healthy production of the plant biomass but without neglecting the best…

Effects of progressive decrease of feeding frequency and re-feeding on production parameters, stomach capacity and muscle nutritional value in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Feeds and feeding constitute the major part of costs in intensive aquaculture. Any action to reduce feeding costs without negatively affecting fish production parameters and flesh quality would improve profitability of farming. Therefore, we studied the effects of feeding frequency on production parameters, stomach capacity and nutritional value of muscle in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in an experiment with two stages. First, during the nine-week “starvation period” we fed rainbow trout (initial weight c. 40 g) with four different feeding protocols in an attempt to adapt the fish to a progressive decrease in the number of feeding days. During the second stage, a four-week “…

Effects of repeated handling, with or without anaesthesia, on feed intake and growth in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

The effects of weekly anaesthetization with clove oil and tricaine methanesulphonate (MS-222) on feed intake and growth were examined in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), held individually. Repeated handling without anaesthetics significantly reduced feed intake and weight gain compared with an unhandled control group during an 8-week experiment. When anaesthetics were used during handling the feed consumption and weight gain were significantly (MS-222) or not significantly (clove oil) higher than in fish handled without anaesthesia. When compared with the unhandled control group, neither of these two anaesthetics had significant effects on feed intake but, in contrast …

Effect of tank size on food intake and growth in individually held juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

Replacement of fishmeal with corn gluten meal in feeds for juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) does not affect oxygen consumption during forced swimming

We compared oxygen consumption (MO2, mg/kg/h) of c. 80 g rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in an intermittent-flow swim respirometer at 15 °C. Before the tests the fish were grown in flow through tanks (15 °C) with either fishmeal (FM) or corn gluten meal (CGM) based diets (c. 52% protein) for a period of 3–4.5 months. Ten individuals from both treatment groups were fasted for 48 h before the swim test, which consisted of 18 loops of 210 s over three different periods: acclimation period (6 loops at 0.5 body lengths per s, BL/s), exercise period (8 loops at increased speed from 1 to 2.5 BL/s with recovery loops at 0.5 BL/s), and a recovery period (four loops at 0.5 BL/s). We did not obser…

Supplementing air with CO2 stripped from recirculating aquaculture improves growth of two green microalgae in aquaculture wastewater

To improve sustainability and to implement the principles of circular economy in aquaculture, we tested the possibility to boost the capture of nitrate by two green microalgal species from recirculating aquaculture system's (RAS) wastewater by supplementing air with carbon dioxide stripped from a RAS. Carbon dioxide addition increased cell densities of Monoraphidium griffithii and Haematococcus pluvialis in photobioreactors during 9-day growing periods. However, growth rates and nitrate uptake rates were only improved for M. griffithii. Addition of CO2 decreased pH of the medium with M. griffithii which likely also affected positively on algal growth and nutrient uptake. These laboratory sc…

The effect of clove oil sedation on oxygen consumption of six temperate-zone fish species

A simple experimental setup for testing saltwater preference

Effects of weekend starvation and the duration of daily feeding on production parameters of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Abstract It would often be practical to starve the cultivated fishes over the weekends, e.g. to save in labour costs. We evaluated the possibility that domesticated juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) could compensate for the lost growth of the 2-day weekend starvation by either hyperphagic response and/or by lower feed conversion ratio, compared to the fish fed every day in an 8-week experiment. Rainbow trout (initial weight c. 30 g, temperature 16 °C) starved during the weekends were able to increase feed intake during the weekdays clearly above the intake of the control fish after the first two weekends, also seen as an increase of the compensation coefficients over the last fou…

Compensatory growth in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), held individually

Abstract The effect of feed cycling on compensatory growth was examined in juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), held individually at 15 °C. Fish were fasted for 2, 4, 8, or 14 days and then refed until either their relative feed intake differed by less than 10% of fed controls, or the duration of the refeeding period was four times the fasting period. After 80 days, fish fasted for 8 days at a time were smaller than controls, or fish experiencing 2 or 4 days of fasting, while fish fasted for 14 days did not differ from other groups. There were no differences in visceral fat or hepatosomatic indices, but within-treatment variation was high. Fish subjected to fasting display…

Do highly ornamented and less parasitized males have high quality sperm? - an experimental test for parasite-induced reproductive trade-offs in European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus)

Parasites take their resources from hosts and thus directly reduce available resources for hosts’ own body functions, such as growth and reproduction. Furthermore, parasite infections cause significant indirect costs to their hosts in terms of increased investments on immune defense. In this study, we investigated the impact of parasite infection on the sperm quality and expression of secondary sexual ornamentation (saturation of the red abdominal colouration and number of breeding tubercles) in the Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus). We exposed minnows to a high and low dose of common nonspecific fish ectoparasite, the glochidia larvae of duck mussel (Anodonta anatina) and tested whether …

Effects of testosterone and β-glucan on immune functions in tench

A hormone manipulation was performed to examine the effects of testosterone on basal and β-glucan-induced immune functions in wild-caught male and female tench Tinca tinca. Testosterone administration elevated testosterone concentration in plasma, but did not suppress lytic activity of plasma or the chemiluminescence response of blood or head kidney phagocytes in any of the three successive samples or in any of the treatment groups. Both testosterone and β-glucan administrations had a negative effect on the relative mass of the spleen, and testosterone-treated fish lost more mass than control fish. Males had a relatively larger spleen than females, but there were no gender differences in im…

Efficiency of Daphnia magna in removal of green microalgae cultivated in Nordic recirculating aquaculture system wastewater

The increase of global aquaculture production has boosted the development of recirculating aquaculture systems not only because they reduce water use but also provide opportunities for waste management and the use of released nutrients. The dissolved nutrients can be efficiently removed from recirculating aquaculture system wastewater by microalgae, and microalgae can be harvested from the wastewater with low costs by zooplankton such as Daphnia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using microalgae and Daphnia for bioremediation of recirculating aquaculture system wastewater in Nordic conditions. We evaluated the growth and filtration efficiency of the waterflea Dap…

The effect of intermittent feeding on feed intake and compensatory growth of whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L.

Abstract Groups of juvenile whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus , were exposed for 6 weeks to three different feeding regimes: control (fed every day); 2 + 5 (fed during weekdays); and 2 + 2 (fed 2 days, starved 2 days). The fish in the 2 + 2 group ate and grew less than the controls but the 2 + 5 group was intermediate and did not differ statistically significantly from either of the other two groups. The fish in both treatment groups exhibited clear compensation for the reduced number of feeding days by increasing intake and consequently weight gain during the days when they were fed, and the compensation increased towards the end of the experiment. Feeding treatments induced clear changes in …

Growth of domesticated discusSymphysodonsp. at constant temperatures

Temperature effects on anaesthesia with clove oil in six temperate-zone fishes

The potential use of clove oil (eugenol) as an anaesthetic for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, brown trout Salmo trutta, rainbow trout Oncohynchus mykiss, whitefish Coregonus lavaretus, perch Perca fluviatilis and roach Rutilus rutilus was examined at 5, 10, 15 and 20°C using three anaesthetic concentrations (varying from 20 to 200 mg l -1 ) at each temperature. Substantial species differences in sensitivity to clove oil were observed, even amongst congeners, and there may be some disadvantages (slow recovery and possibly mortality) with using clove oil for 0+ year whitefish and at low temperatures for perch and roach.

Effects of progressive decrease of feeding frequency and re-feeding on production parameters, stomach capacity and muscle nutritional value in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract Feeds and feeding constitute the major part of costs in intensive aquaculture. Any action to reduce feeding costs without negatively affecting fish production parameters and flesh quality would improve profitability of farming. Therefore, we studied the effects of feeding frequency on production parameters, stomach capacity and nutritional value of muscle in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in an experiment with two stages. First, during the nine-week “starvation period” we fed rainbow trout (initial weight c. 40 g) with four different feeding protocols in an attempt to adapt the fish to a progressive decrease in the number of feeding days. During the second stage, a fo…

Indirect estimation of stomach volume of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

The main hypothesis of this study was that if stomach volume is correlated with food intake it can be estimated without laborious and destructive direct measurement. Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), ca. 500^1300 g, were starved for 1, 4, 8 or16 days at151C after which they were fed in excess with dry pellets containing known amounts of X-raydense markers. Immediately after feeding the ¢sh were killed, X rayed and weighed. Then the stomach was dissected, its contents removed and weighed, and stomach volume was measured. X-ray plates were developed and feed intake was estimated based on the amount of marker. All measured variables correlated positively with stomach volume. The be…

Fish Diets in Aquaponics

AbstractFish and feed waste provide most of the nutrients required by the plants in aquaponics if the optimum ratio between daily fish feed inputs and the plant growing area is sustained. Thus, the fish feed needs to fulfil both the fish’s and plant’s nutritional requirements in an aquaponic system. A controlled fish waste production strategy where the nitrogen, phosphorus and mineral contents of fish diets are manipulated and used provides a way of influencing the rates of accumulation of nutrients, thereby reducing the need for the additional supplementation of nutrients. To optimize the performance and cost-effectiveness of aquaponic production, fish diets and feeding schedules should be…

The use of biological traps for water treatment in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

Increasing global demand for fish and the depletion of natural fish stocks has stimulated the development of aquaculture all over the world. One of the main restrictions for future growth and sustainability of the aquaculture lies in its waste discharge. The main concern includes dissolved or particulate organics, nitrogen and phosphorus, which may lead to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems receiving the wastewaters. Therefore, nutrient removal is essential for aquaculture wastewater treatment for protection of the surrounding environment. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), enable fish production in relative isolation from the surrounding environment, and they offer advantages in term…