Filtration of green algae and cyanobacteria by Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, in the Partitioned Aquaculture System

doi:10.1016/S0044-8486(02)00133-3

Aquaculture

Volume 215, Issues 1–4, 10 January 2003, Pages 93-101

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0044-8486(02)00133-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, held in a timed pulse fed Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) were provided Partitioned Aquaculture System (PAS) algal-rich water dominated by green algae (i.e., Scenedesmus and Ankistrodesmus) and cyanobacteria (i.e., Microcystis and Merismopedia) to determine filtration rates (FR). A similar number and size of tilapias were stocked at 1.5 kg/tank into each of the six CSTRs (127 l) for 58-h experiment period. The cell counts of phytoplankton in water filtered by tilapias indicated significant reduction in green algae and cyanobacteria. Nile tilapia was more effective filtering the larger particle size taxa in both water sources. FR measured as mg of particulate organic carbon (POC) per kg wet fish weight per hour increased as POC increased. A curvilinear filter-feeding rate model provided a maximum filtration rate (FR_max) of 641 mgC/kg/h at 26 mgC/l in green algal-dominated water. The projected FR_max of cyanobacterial-dominated water was 865 mgC/kg/h at 59 mgC/l. The derived filter-feeding rate models will help to describe Nile tilapia filtration kinetics in the PAS and the potential for control of nuisance cyanobacteria.

Introduction

Nile tilapia is an attractive species for aquaculture because of fast growth, large size at reproduction, low feeding trophic level and low production costs (Costa-Pierce and Rakocy, 1997). Juvenile and adult Nile, Oreochromis niloticus, blue, O. aureus, and Mozambique, O. mossambicus, tilapia are reported to filter phytoplankton McDonald, 1985a, McDonald, 1985b, de Moor et al., 1986, Northcott et al., 1991. Since Nile tilapia use algal protein including cyanobacteria, raising tilapia on foods at lower trophic level can be a cost-efficient culture method.

The Partitioned Aquaculture System (PAS) was designed to recirculate water between intensive fish culture raceways and waste treatment channels. It is based on the concept of managing phytoplankton standing crop productivity at desired levels to increase fish production Smith and Piedrahita, 1988, Drapcho and Brune, 2000, Brune et al., in press. The PAS uses high phytoplankton productivity to remove inorganic nutrients released by cultured fish. Phytoplankton harvest reduces the algal cell age, thereby increasing algal growth, removal of waste, and production of oxygen. Harvested phytoplankton also serves as a food source for a filter feeder.

A variety of filter-feeding organisms have been proposed for controlling algal populations in waste treatment lagoons Henderson, 1983, Laws and Weisburd, 1990 and aquaculture ponds Smith, 1985, Laws and Weisburd, 1990. Silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, and Nile tilapia have been considered effective in suppressing cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic lakes Miura, 1990, Starling and Rocha, 1990, Starling, 1993. Our preliminary studies indicate that PAS units stocked with Nile tilapia and silver carp developed green algal-dominated phytoplankton communities, whereas the PAS units stocked with the freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata, eventually developed cyanobacterial-dominated communities Starkey, 1999, Mueller, 2001. The freshwater mussel filtered green algae taxa at a significantly greater rate than cyanobacteria (Stuart et al., 2001). A similar comparison has not been attempted with Nile tilapia.

Tilapia filter-feeding studies have involved gut contents analysis of field captured individuals Moriarty and Moriarty, 1973, Hofer and Schiemer, 1983, de Moor et al., 1986, Getachew and Fernando, 1989, Abdelghany, 1993 and quantification of algal filtration in static laboratory systems Caulton, 1982, McDonald, 1985a, McDonald, 1985b, Robinson et al., 1990, Northcott et al., 1991, Dempster et al., 1993. These studies indicate that tilapia filtration rates are influenced by environmental conditions. The purposes of this study were to determine Nile tilapia filtration rates in different cell concentrations and its filtering preferences when presented green algal- and cyanobacterial-dominated waters.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Phytoplankton filtration kinetics of Nile tilapia was conducted using algal-rich water from the PAS at the Calhoun Field Station, Clemson University, SC. Similar-sized (68.4±1.1 g) Nile tilapia were stocked at the same biomass (1.5 kg/tank) in six 127-l Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) while a seventh CSTR without fish was used as a control. Prior to stocking, tilapia were held in algae-free water for 12 h to evacuate the gut.

Water temperatures were recorded at 4-h intervals from 800 to

Results

Water quality variables were similar among experiments. Dissolved oxygen, pH, total ammonia nitrogen and temperature averaged 6.8 mg/l (5.1–8.9), 8.2 (7.6–9.1), 1.7 mg/l (1.1–2.3) and 27.7 °C (26.0–30.0), respectively. The lowest values for dissolved oxygen, pH and total ammonia nitrogen were observed at the morning readings (0800 h) and the highest values in the evening (1800 h).

The cyanobacterial water source was dominated by two cyanobacteria; Microcystis (longest dimension range, 20–70 μm)

Discussion

Nile tilapia filter feeding significantly reduced several green algae and two cyanobacteria taxa in PAS water. From macroscopic examination of Nile tilapia stomach contents, Microcystis was the most abundant cyanobacteria taxa in diet of fish sampled from two Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes, Awasa and Zwai (Getachew, 1987). Abdelghany (1993) found green algae (i.e., Ankistrodesmus, Pediastrum and Closterium) and cyanobacteria (i.e., Anabaena, Oscillatoria and Microcystis) in Nile tilapia stomachs

Acknowledgements

We thank Ron Gantt for running the carbon analysis and Chris Mueller for the identification of phytoplankton. This study was supported by the S.C. Aquaculture Research Initiative, USDA (NRI and Rural America Programs) and the Turkish Ministry of Education through Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey. Technical Contribution number is 4708 of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Clemson University, SC.

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Filtration of green algae and cyanobacteria by Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, in the Partitioned Aquaculture System

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Aquacult. Eng.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture

Food and feeding habits of Nile tilapia from the Nile River at Cairo, Egypt

Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater

Food habit comparison of two populations of blue tilapia in north central Florida

Biol. Sci.

Feeding, metabolism and growth of tilapias: some quantitative considerations

Food and feeding habits of Oreochromis mossambicus in hypertropic Hartbeespoort Dam

S. Afr. J. Zool.

Herbivory in the tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus: a comparison of feeding rates on phytoplankton and periphyton

J. Fish Biol.

Can fish survive by filter feeding on micro particles? Energy balance in tilapia grazing on algal suspension

J. Fish Biol.

Particle-grazing and plankton community impact of an omnivorous cichlid

Trans. Am. Fish. Soc.

A study on an herbivorous fish, Oreochromis niloticus, diet and its quality in two Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes, Awasa and Zwai

J. Fish Biol.

The food of a herbivorous fish, Oreochromis niloticus, in Lake Awasa, Ethiopia

Hydrobiologia

Regression Analysis: Concepts and Applications

Feeding ecology, assimilation efficiencies and energetics of two herbivorous fish: Tilapia mossambicus and Puntius filamentosus