Fish Selection for Aquaponics
Chris Hartleb
Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
Department of Biology
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Status of Global Aquaculture: Farmed and Wild
Selection Criteria
•
•
•
•
Compatibility – fish, plants, bacteria
Availability – source of fish & regulations
Quantity – how many do you need?
Marketing – will you sell them? To whom?
Compatibility with Plants & Bacteria
• Requirements for germination & growth
• Simultaneous fish & plant selection
Plant Requirements
(lettuce as an example)
Parameter
Temperature
pH
Range
60-80oF / 15-26oC
Preferred: 5.8 - 6.2
Maximum: 7.0 - 7.5
Bacteria Requirements
Plants
Bacteria
Parameter
Optimum Range
Temperature:
Nitrosomonas
Nitrobacter
68 – 86oF / 20 – 30oC
82 – 100oF / 28 – 38oC
pH:
Nitrosomonas
Nitrobacter
7.8 – 8.0
7.3 – 7.5
Compromise:
Temperature: 70-80oF / 21 - 26oC
pH = 7.0
Parameter
Temperature
pH
Range
60-80oF / 15-26oC
Preferred: 5.8 - 6.2
Maximum: 7.0 - 7.5
Fish
Parameter
Temperature
pH
Range
60-80oF / 15-26oC
7.0 – 8.0
Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)
Fish Tanks
Water Pump
Raft Tank
Clarifier
Mineralization tanks
Air pump
Degassing Tank
Why control using RAS?
• Physical control
– Temperature
– Light intensity, daylength, spectrum
– Dissolved gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide)
• Chemical control
– Water quality
– Feeding
– Wastewater
• Biological control
– Viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites (pathogens)
– Fish
• Low stress = high or optimal survival & growth
Water Quality
•
•
•
•
Temperature: poikilotherms
Dissolved oxygen: limited in water
pH: indicator
Ammonia & Nitrite: fish waste products
–
–
–
–
pH and temperature determine the proportion
Alkaline pH more NH3 (toxic)
Acidic pH more NH4 (less toxic)
Bacterial nitrification converts ammonia to nitrite
• Fish are sensitive at levels >0.6 mg/L
• Hardness
– Influences fish osmoregulation
• CO2: product of fish respiration
– Regulated by aeration
Production Water Quality Parameters for Cool-water Fish
Parameter
Temperature
Range
72 - 76oF / 22 - 24oC
Dissolved oxygen
7.0 - 8.3 mg/L
Oxygen saturation
85 – 100%
pH
7.0 – 8.0
Unionized ammonia-N
Total ammonia-N
<0.01 mg/L
<1.0 mg/L
Nitrite-N
<0.5 mg/L
Nitrate-N
<250 mg/L
Carbon dioxide
<10 mg/L
Total alkalinity
50-700 mg/L
Tolerance Ranges
Generalized Fish Categories
Group
Temperature
DO
requirement
Ammonia
tolerance
Protein
requirement
Coldwater
<60oF / <15oC
>5 mg/L
Low
High
Coolwater
60 – 75oF / 15 – 24oC
>5 mg/L
Low
Moderate
>75oF / >24oC
>2 mg/L
Moderate
Moderate
Warmwater
Tolerance Ranges for Growth of Tilapia
Culture factor
Range
Temperature
64 - 90oF (17 - 32oC)
Dissolved oxygen
pH
3 – 10 mg/L
7–8
Ammonia-N
0 – 0.04 mg/L
Nitrite-N
0 – 0.8 mg/L
Hardness
50 - 350 mg/L
CO2
0 – 30 mg/L
• Widely cultured in tropical
and sub-tropical regions.
• A favorite for aquaponics.
Growth Rate of Nile Tilapia
• More than tripled in weight during 104 day (3 ½ months) study.
• Inverse relationship between density and growth.
Tilapia Production
• Worldwide:
– 830,000 tons in 1990
– 1.6 million tons in 1999
– 3.5 million tons in 2008
• China: 1.1 million tons in 2008
Tilapia Imports to U.S.
• Frozen tilapia fillets from
China (90% of market)
• Fresh tilapia fillets are a
niche market.
2007
2008
2009
120.0
119.3
130.4
Indonesia
8.6
9.8
8.8
Taiwan PC
16.1
18.6
15.7
Ecuador
12.5
9.2
10.2
Thailand
0.2
3.7
1.6
Honduras
7.9
8.3
6.5
Costa Rica
4.8
5.6
5.7
Others
3.6
4.9
4.5
173.7
179.4
183.4
China
Total
Estimated Cost of Production
•
•
•
•
•
Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba: $1.10 / kg
Costa Rica, Jamaica: $1.20 / kg
Colombia, Mexico: $1.25 / kg
USA: $2.00 / kg
Canada: $2.10 / kg
Current Market Trends
•
•
•
•
•
•
U.S. and European growers will concentrate on live sales.
Latin America and Southeast Asia will be primary U.S. suppliers of fillets and
processed forms.
Latin America, Caribbean and Africa will supply European markets.
U.S. imports are growing, demand is very good and almost all supplies are coming
from imports.
Second most popular fish in U.S. retail stores, behind salmon, and the 5th most
popular fishery product overall.
Tilapia supply will continue to expand from increased Chinese production mainly
directed at U.S. markets.
Tolerance Ranges for Growth of Percidae
(Example: Yellow perch)
Culture factor
Range
Temperature
70 – 75oF (21-24oC)
Dissolved oxygen
pH
Ammonia-N
3.5 – 10 mg/L
6.5-9
0 – 0.0125 mg/L
Nitrite-N
0 – 1.0 mg/L
Hardness
50 – 400 mg/L
CO2
0 – 6 mg/L
• Widely cultured in Midwest
U.S.
• A favorite fish for the
Friday-night fish fry.
Growth Rates of Yellow Perch & Pikeperch
• Yellow perch: 19oC RAS, raised for 4 months
• Mixed vs monosex (female)
100
90
80
Pikeperch: 2 months in RAS
70
Weight (g)
60
Lake Mendota mixed sex
50
Lake Mendota mono sex female
40
30
20
10
0
November
December
January
February
Month
March
April
Growth Rates of Walleye & Hybrids
Weig ht g ain of H ybrid Walleye R eared in R ec yc le S ys tem at 23 C
700
600
G rowout phas e III-IV
D G R = 1.4 g/day
G ram s
500
400
300
F ingerling phas e II
D G R = 0.5 g/day
200
100
0
50
66
95
114
159
192
235
270
Da ys P ost Ha tc h
310
370
430
490
560
Tolerance Ranges for Growth of Centrarchids
(Example: Bluegill)
Culture factor
Ranges
Temperature
68 – 85oF (20-29oC)
Dissolved oxygen
pH
4 – 10 mg/L
7 – 8.5
Ammonia-N
0 – 0.01 mg/L
Nitrite-N
0 – 0.8 mg/L
Hardness
50 – 200 mg/L
CO2
0 – 25 mg/L
• Potential as temperate
region tilapia.
• Widely cultured in Midwest
U.S.
• Broad geographic
distribution.
Growth Rates of Bluegill & Hybrids
• Bluegill and female green - male bluegill hybrids.
• 0.5 lbs (227 g) market-size needed in 10-12 months.
• Feed ranges:
32-40% crude protein
Tolerance Ranges for Growth of Channel Catfish
Culture factor
Ranges
Temperature
70 – 90oF (21-32oC)
Dissolved oxygen
pH
>4 mg/L
7–8
Ammonia-N
0 – 0.05 mg/L
Hardness
25 – 100 mg/L
CO2
<10 mg/L
• Hardy and tolerant.
• International and national
market saturation.
• More economical
production in ponds.
• Sub-optimal growth in RAS.
Tolerance Ranges for Growth of Carp
(Example: Koi & Goldfish)
Culture factor
Ranges
Temperature
65 – 75oF (18-24oC)
Dissolved oxygen
pH
4 – 10 mg/L
6–8
Ammonia-N
0 – 0.08 mg/L
Nitrite-N
0 – 0.6 mg/L
Hardness
50 – 350 mg/L
CO2
0 – 25 mg/L
• Ornamental trade and sales.
• Hardy & tolerant.
• Marketing.
Tolerances Ranges for Growth of Salmonids
Culture factor
Ranges
Temperature:
Optimal
<71oF / <22oC
53 – 60oF / 12 - 16oC
Dissolved oxygen
pH
Ammonia-N
Hardness
CO2
>6.0 mg/L
6.5 – 8.0
<0.01 mg/L
10 – 400 mg/L
<10 mg/L
• Most popular retail fish in
U.S.
• Well established markets.
• Potential in RAS being
documented.
Growth Rate of Rainbow Trout
• All female
• Continuous light, fed every 1-2 hours
Growth Rate of Atlantic Salmon
• Raised at 13oC
• Continuous light vs 12:12 for winter
Growth Rate of Arctic Char
• Triploid vs diploid
Freshwater Species
• Most any fish can be cultured in RAS as long as it does well under medium
to high density culture.
• Optimization data needed.
– Largemouth bass
• Markets mostly large cities
– Barramundi (sea bass)
• Australia to Southeast Asia
• 1.5 – 2.0 lbs in a year
– Murray cod
• Australia, carnivorous but readily accepts feed
• Adaptable to crowding
– Jade perch
• Australia, require water temperature >16oC
• Can grow to 500 g in under 12 months
– Pacu
– Others
Marketing
Fish Feed
• The fish food provides the nutrients to
the entire system: Fish – bacteria- plants
• Assimilation and conversion
• Fish selection affects diet choice and
nutrient availability:
– Herbivorous fish require a diet of 2235% protein.
– Omnivorous fish require a diet of 3238% protein.
– Carnivorous fish may require 40-50%
protein.
Fish Nutrition
Required Elements in Fish Diet
Vitamins
Minerals
Elements for Plants
Essential Amino acids
Non-essential Amino acids
Arginine
Alanine
Thiamine
Phosphorus
Phosphorus
Histidine
Asparagine
Riboflavin
Manganese*
Manganese*
Isoleucine
Aspartate
Pyridoxine
Copper*
Copper*
Leucine
Cysteine
Pantothenate
Iron
Iron
Lysine
Glutamate
Biotin
Potassium
Potassium
Methionine
Glutamine
Choline
Calcium
Calcium
Phenylalanine
Glycine
Folate
Magnesium
Magnesium
Threonine
Proline
Ascorbic acid
Zinc*
Zinc*
Tryptophan
Serine
Vitamin A
Cobalt*
Boron*
Valine
Vitamin D
Selenium*
Molybdenum*
Nutrient
Tyrosine
Percent of feed
Vitamin E
Iodine*
Sulfur
Protein
45%
Vitamin K
Fat
22%
Vitamin B12
Carbohydrates
25%
Moisture
10%
Ash
2%
Nitrogen
*micronutrients
Fate of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Fish Feed
Food
100% N
100% P
Solids
13% N
60-90% P
Retained in Tissues
30% N
32% P
Effluent
70% N
68% P
Dissolved
87% N
10-40% P
Availability
• Know your national, state, and local Import regulations.
http://www.ncrac.org/Info/StateImportRegs/stateregsmain.htm
Source & Receiving Fish
•
•
•
•
Know your nursery provider.
Health certificate & Quarantine
Acclimate
Year-round availability
Depuration or Purge
• Removing off-flavor
Conclusions
• More detailed information needed for optimizing culture performance of
fish in aquaponics.
• Information can be garnered from studies using recirculating aquaculture.
• Tilapia optimization has been done, but other issues arise.
• Marketing awareness and consumer education.
• VetMedCE.org
– "Fish Health Courses for Producers and Veterinarians" > "Fish Producer Courses“
• [email protected]
• http://aquaculture.uwsp.edu