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 …

Startup and effects of relative water renewal rate on water quality and growth of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a unique RAS research platform

Abstract The aquaculture industry is growing fast but facing two major challenges: a shortage of suitable locations for growth and the need to reduce environmental impacts. One solution for both these challenges is inland production through recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The RAS technique is rather new, and several practical issues need to be solved. In this study, an experimental platform, consisting of ten individual RAS units, was built for small-scale testing of different RAS designs and operation methods, and two preliminary experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, the capability of different chemical additions (sodium nitrite, ammonium chloride and/or cane sugar)…

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 …

The effects of different combinations of fixed and moving bed bioreactors on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) growth and health, water quality and nitrification in recirculating aquaculture systems

The effect of bioreactor design on nitrification efficiency has been well studied, but less is known about the overall impacts on water quality. Besides nitrification, submerged fixed bed bioreactors (FBBR) trap fine solid particles, whereas moving bed bioreactors (MBBR) grind solids, possibly increasing solids and particle accumulation in the system. In this experiment, the effects of different combinations of fixed bed and moving bed bioreactors on water quality, solids removal, particle size distribution, fish health based on histopathological changes and nitrification efficiency were studied in laboratory scale recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus myk…

The effects of different combinations of fixed and moving bed bioreactors on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) growth and health, water quality and nitrification in recirculating aquaculture systems

Abstract The effect of bioreactor design on nitrification efficiency has been well studied, but less is known about the overall impacts on water quality. Besides nitrification, submerged fixed bed bioreactors (FBBR) trap fine solid particles, whereas moving bed bioreactors (MBBR) grind solids, possibly increasing solids and particle accumulation in the system. In this experiment, the effects of different combinations of fixed bed and moving bed bioreactors on water quality, solids removal, particle size distribution, fish health based on histopathological changes and nitrification efficiency were studied in laboratory scale recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) with rainbow trout (Oncorhy…

The effect of dietary phosphorus deficiency on the immune responses of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L.)

Low phosphorous (P) feeds in aquaculture are recommended to reduce eutrophication of water systems. However, the feed should be adequate for normal growth and intact immune defence. Influence of low dietary P supply on non-specific and specific immune defence of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) was studied in two trials. For Trial 1, a semi-purified, low-P diet was formulated and supplied with 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10.0 g P kg(-1)to obtain a P gradient of 4.4-14.9 g kg(-1)diet. Diets were fed to four replicate groups of fingerling whitefish for 42 days in a flow-through, freshwater system maintained at 15 degrees C. Fish fed with the P-unsupplemented diet had significantly lower plas…

Effect of peracetic acid on levels of geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, and their potential producers in a recirculating aquaculture system for rearing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract In recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)s, off-flavors and odors, mainly caused by geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), can accumulate in the flesh of fish from RAS water, reducing the profitability of production. In this study, peracetic acid (PAA) was applied in three application intervals to pump sumps of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in RAS. Using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the potential off-flavor producers were quantified using geoA and MIB synthase genes. Streptomyces was identified as the major GSM producer, and biofilters showed the highest number of potential off-flavor producers. Concentrations of GSM and MIB were analyzed in the …

Effect of ozone and hydrogen peroxide on off-flavor compounds and water quality in a recirculating aquaculture system

The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) is an ever-developing technology for producing fish with a low environmental impact. However, off-flavors can be a major problem in RAS fish production. Off-flavor compounds are of microbial origin and are accumulated in fish flesh. They typically cause a musty and earthy taste and odor, which consumers find unacceptable. Here we hypothesized that oxidizing compounds such as ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and their combinations, referred to as advanced oxidation processes (AOP)s, can remove or decrease these compounds in water and prevent their accumulation in fish. In this study, four different oxidative treatments (O3 low (0.4 mg O3 L−1), …

Discharge management in fresh and brackish water RAS: Combined phosphorus removal by organic flocculants and nitrogen removal in woodchip reactors

The current study combined P and N removal using organic flocculant chemicals and woodchip bioreactors in both freshwater and brackish water (7 ppm) recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The use of carbon (C) containing flocculant chemicals in the process was hypothesized to further stimulate C-demanding N removal (denitrification) in bioreactors. The trial of combined P and N removal consisted of four treatments: freshwater and brackish water RAS with and without the addition of supernatant from flocculation process to the woodchip reactor. Duplicate woodchip reactors were used per treatment and the trial was run for six weeks. 56 % and 49 % of P was removed from fresh and brackish slud…

Effects of feeding frequency on growth and food utilisation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed low-fat herring or dry pellets

Abstract One-year-old rainbow trout (weight range 400–700 g) were fed for 18 weeks on low-fat herring or commercial dry pellets 1, 2 or 4 times in a day. Quadratic regression analysis indicated that at least three feedings were required for maximum growth and that fish fed a dry diet could benefit from even more frequent feeding. The proportion of lipid in growth increased with increased number of feedings, but the protein content was not affected (mean 18.6% protein wet basis). Food consumption (dry weight) was affected in a similar manner for both diets and its maximum occurred at slightly higher frequency than for maximum growth. No effects of feeding frequency or type of diet on energy …

Effects of soybean meal based diet on growth performance, gut histopathology and intestinal microbiota of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract Effects of soybean meal (SBM) based diet on growth performance, histology of the intestinal epithelium and on the gut microbiota of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were investigated on two trials lasting for 8 weeks (Trial I) and 18 weeks (Trial II). The microbiological characterization was done both with conventional plating techniques, biochemical profiling and length heterogeneity analysis of PCR amplified 16S rDNA (LH-PCR). Typical histological changes were found after 18 weeks of SBM feeding (Trial II). Mean height of simple foldings were significantly higher within the group fed with fish meal (FM) based diet. These changes were not, however, reflected in the app…

Growth and food utilisation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed low-fat herring and dry diets enriched with fish oil

Two-year-old rainbow trout (initial weight 695 g) were fed for 15 weeks low-fat Baltic herring diets either with or without lipid enrichment. For comparison, similar groups of trout were fed dry pellets with and without top-dressing with fish oil. Inclusion of lipid increased growth rate in a similar manner for both types of diets. For the herring-based diet, increased lipid resulted in increased dry matter consumption but for the dry diet, feed efficiency (dry weight growth per dry weight food consumption) was improved by channelling more nutrients to lipid deposition. If compared within a stated lipid level, fish fed the herring-based diets grew at a slower rate than fish fed the dry diet…

Optimal diet composition for European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus): carbohydrate stress and immune parameter responses

Abstract A feeding trial was conducted on the European whitefish to study the effects of replacing fish meal with fish oil and corn starch on the stress response and immune system parameters. Nine diets with varying levels of fish meal (FM; 38–86%), fish oil (FO; 2–22%) and corn starch (CS; 0–33%), and fixed levels of wheat meal (10%) and vitamin–mineral premix (2%) were formulated and replicates were allocated among 25 tanks following the D-optimality criteria. Fish were fed the extruded diets to satiation for 10 weeks in a flow-through freshwater system at 15 °C. The liver and plasma were sampled at the termination of the trial, and the response surfaces were modeled as Scheffe polynomial…

Controlling of geosmin and 2‐methylisoborneol induced off‐flavours in recirculating aquaculture system farmed fish—A review

The efficacy of two immunostimulants against Flavobacterium columnare infection in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Abstract Bacterium Flavobacterium columnare is the causative agent of columnaris disease in many wild and farmed fish species. Immunostimulants are used with success in aquaculture against many pathogens, but the ability to improve innate resistance to columnaris disease has not been studied. Fingerling rainbow trout were treated with two immunostimulants, yeast β-glucan and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB). Selected innate immune function parameters, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by whole blood and by isolated head kidney leukocytes, plasma lysozyme activity and complement bacteriolytic activity, were determined to assess the immune status of fish. The fish were then bath…

High dietary inclusion level of fresh herring impairs growth of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Abstract One-year old rainbow trout (initially 350–670 g) were fed for 15 weeks diets containing various amounts of water (23–67%). This was achieved by replacing fish meal with Baltic herring. The growth of rainbow trout, whether measured as wet weight, protein or energy, was impaired when 50–55% dietary water was fed. The fish compensated for increasing dietary water content by consuming more diet so that the dry matter intake of the diets with 23 and 67% water were equal. Partitioning of growth into protein and lipid as well as protein and energy retention efficiencies were unaffected by dietary water. It is suggested that there is a metabolic cost of consuming more food when compensatin…