Improving the mechanical characteristics of faecal waste in rainbow trout: the influence of fish size and treatment with a non-starch polysaccharide (guar gum)

This study (3 × 2 randomized factorial design) describes differences in the mechanical properties of faeces from rainbow trout of three size classes (small ≈40 g, mid-size ≈150 g, large ≈650 g) and assesses the effects of a non-starch polysaccharide binder (guar gum). Observations made at the macroscopic level were reinforced by rheological measurements of viscosity and elastic modulus. Mid-sized fish excreted mechanically the most stable faeces, roughly twice as stable as those of small fish and three times more stable than faeces from large fish. The addition of 3 g kg⁻¹ of guar gum saw some mechanical characteristics improve by about 700%. Faeces from large- and mid-sized fish were more easily stabilized than those of small fish. Mechanical recovery potential for faecal samples disrupted by water turbulence was determined. Stability differences observed for different fish size had no significant effect but the improvements imparted by guar gum reduced postfiltration effluent load to about 35% for large fish, about 24% for mid-size and about 22% for small fish. Faecal leaching decreased significantly with increasing stability. Guar gum was shown to have significant potential for improving the treatability of fish faecal waste.