Comparative water quality and channel catfish production in earthen ponds and a biofloc technology production system |
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Authors: | Bartholomew W Green Matthew E McEntire |
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Affiliation: | U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center, Stuttgart, Arkansas, USA |
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Abstract: | This 210-day study compared variation in water quality and fish growth for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus; 47 g/fish) stocked in earthen ponds (1.5 fish/m2, 14,820/ha) and in a biofloc technology (BFT) production system with high-density polyethylene-lined rectangular tanks (12.6 fish/m2, 126,000/ha). Feed input and culture environment affected water-quality dynamics. In ponds, phytoplankton uptake predominated and little nitrification occurred, whereas in the BFT system phytoplankton uptake and nitrification maintained low ammonia-nitrogen concentrations. Size classes of fish were skewed toward the larger market sizes in ponds and toward smaller market sizes in the BFT system. Mean final fish weight was 630 g/fish in ponds and 542 g/fish in the BFT system. Despite these differences, fish yield was higher in the BFT system (7.7 kg/m3 v. 1.5 kg/m3) because of the greater initial stocking rate. |
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Keywords: | Biofloc technology channel catfish earthen ponds Ictalurus punctatus market-size fish water quality |
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