Evaluation of potassium ricinoleate as a selective blue-green algicide in channel catfish ponds

The effectiveness of potassium ricinoleate as a selective blue-green algicide was investigated in experimental channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, culture ponds. Five ponds were treated with 0.8 mg/l potassium ricinoleate three times per week from May through October and five ponds served as controls. Treatment did not affect concentrations of chlorophyll-a, total and un-ionized ammonia-nitrogen, or dissolved oxygen; nor did it affect average hours of supplemental aeration or net fish production. The mean nitrite-nitrogen concentration in control ponds was higher (P<0.05) than that in treated ponds, but concentrations of nitrite never reached levels considered detrimental to the health of the fish. Treatment did not reduce the incidence or percentage of blue-green algae in phytoplankton communities and did not prevent severe episodes of off-flavor in fish from treated ponds.     

Accumulation, organic carbon and dry matter concentration of sediment in commercial channel catfish ponds

Sediment depth and organic carbon (OC) concentration were measured in sediment cores (n=675) collected from 45 commercial channel catfish ponds in northwest Mississippi from April to September in 1998 and 1999. Ponds had been in continuous catfish production from 14 days to 21 years. Sediment depth ranged from 1 to 95 cm and was heterogeneously distributed within ponds: least in the shallow end (26.3 cm) and greatest in deeper areas (33.7 cm). Mean sediment depth increased with pond age, although the rate of sediment accumulation was greatest in the first year (12.5 cm per year). Organic carbon concentration varied slightly within ponds ranging from 0.76 to 3.43% of dry matter (DM). Mean organic carbon concentration in the upper 2 cm of sediment (1.77%) was significantly greater than in the deeper sediment layer (1.55%). Mean dry matter content in the upper 2 cm of sediment averaged 24.2% of total wet weight. Mean dry matter for the lower sediment fraction was 37.8% of total wet weight. Despite large inputs of organic matter from feed and primary production, sediment organic carbon concentrations did not increase with pond age.     

Modeling industry-wide sediment oxygen demand and estimation of the contribution of sediment to total respiration in commercial channel catfish ponds

Data collected from 45 commercial channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, ponds were used to develop empirical models predicting sediment oxygen demand (SOD). Seven acceptable models were combined with a Monte-Carlo sampling distribution to predict industry-wide sediment oxygen demand (SOD_i). The SOD_i values obtained from the best equation were used in simulations to assess the effect of diurnally varying water column dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations on SOD and the effect of pond water depth on the contribution of SOD to overall pond respiration. Estimated SOD_i ranged from 62 to 962 mg m⁻² h⁻¹, with a mean of 478 mg m⁻² h⁻¹. There was a 95% probability of mean SOD_i being ≥700 mg m⁻² h⁻¹. The effects of diurnal variation in DO concentration in the water column on expression of SOD was modeled by combining maximum SOD_i, an empirical relationship between DO and SOD, and simulated pond DO concentrations. At DO concentrations >15 mg l⁻¹, diel SOD in catfish ponds exceeded 20 g O₂ m⁻² day⁻¹. But when average diel DO was <4 mg l⁻¹ and the range of DO concentration was 6–8 mg l⁻¹, SOD decreased to 13 g O₂ m⁻² day⁻¹ because DO availability limited the full expression of potential SOD. Respiration totals for sediment (average SOD_i), plankton, and fish respiration were calculated for pond water depths ranging from 0.25 to 4 m. Although whole-pond respiration increases as pond depth increases, the proportion of total respiration represented by sediment decreased from 48 to 10% by increasing water depth over this range. The results of these studies show that SOD is a major component of total pond respiration and that certain management practices can affect the impact of SOD on pond oxygen budgets. Mixing ponds during daylight hours, either mechanically or by orienting ponds for maximum wind fetch, will increase oxygen supply to sediments, thereby allowing maximum expression of SOD and maximum mineralization of sediment organic matter. Given a mixed condition caused by wind or other artificial means, the construction of deeper ponds increases the total mass of DO available for all respiration, causing nighttime DO concentrations to decline at a slower rate, reducing the need for supplemental aeration. Because a pond’s water volume decreases over time from sediment accumulation, annual aeration costs will increase with pond age. Constructing ponds with greater initial depth will therefore reduce long-term cost of aeration, allow more flexible management of pond water budget, and reduce the long-term expense associated with pond reconstruction.     

On the food of channel catfish stocked in farm ponds

Stomach contents of 382 channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), ranging in length from 47 to 440 mm collected from farm ponds of Auburn University were examined. Fish in these ponds were fiven supplemental feed 6 days a week. Juvenile catfish below 100 mm fed more actively than other size groups. Channel catfish of all size groups were found to have eaten dipteran larvae and pupae more frequently than other natural food items. Dipterans contributed to a maximum of 47.7% and a minimum of 27.3% in the stomachs of 47–100 mm and 101–200 mm long fish, respectively. Supplemental feed was second in importance among other food items consumed by fish of all size groups. Other food items present in the stomachs in varying quantities were algae, molluscs, micro-crustaceans, coleopterans, trichopterans, fish remains and detritus, thus indicating the omnivorous feeding habit of channel catfish.     

2-methylisoborneol implicated as a cause of off-flavour in channel catfish, Ictalums punctatus (Rafinesque), from commercial culture ponds in Mississippi

Abstract. Samples of water, sediment and fish were collected from six commercial channel catfish, Ictalurus punctalus (Rafinesque), ponds from May to October and analysed for muddy-odour producing compounds. Three episodes of off-flavour in the fish occurred in late summer. The episodes were of 2–3 months' duration and correlated with the levels of 2-methylisoborneol in water, sediment and fish. Oscillatoria agardliii was the dominant phytoplankton in ponds with off-flavour fish. Other known muddy odour-producing compounds such as geosmin, 2-isopropyl-3-mcthoxypyrazinc, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine and 2-isobutyl-6-methoxypyrazinc were not detected in the water sediment or at concentrations greater than 5·0 ng/l.     

Removal and utilization of nutrients by Chinese waterchestnut in catfish ponds

The effect of Chinese waterchestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) on production of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and resulting water quality were studied in 1975 in 0.04-ha earthen ponds at Clemson University. Ponds containing waterchestnut had significantly lower levels of nitrate nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen. These lower nitrient levels resulted in lower phytoplankton levels in ponds with waterchestnut.Data indicated that Chinese waterchestnut had no effect on channel catfish production. Poor fish survival may have prevented detection of any effect of waterchestnut on catfish production.Chinese waterchestnut removed nutrients from the pond water. Mean nutrient removal per ha for the 201-day growing season was 108.06 kg of nitrogen, 6.90 kg of calcium, and 37.46 kg of magnesium. Mean corm production was 4664 kg per ha. These data indicate that Chinese waterchestnut should remove nutrients in sufficient quantities to improve water quality and allow increases in feeding rates and greater catfish production.     

Evaluation of commercial catfish, tilapia and salmonid diets for growth promotion of white suckers

In an attempt to identify appropriate diets for use in intensive baitfish culture, the efficacy of three commercial diet formulations, a high-protein, high-lipid, low-carbohydrate diet [a semi-moist salmonid diet (SD)] and two low-protein, low-lipid, high-carbohydrate diets [a catfish diet (CD) and a tilapia diet (TD)] on growth performance of juvenile white suckers, Catostomus commersoni, was examined. All three diets permitted growth during the 16 week trial. The SD promoted highest growth and somatic protein and lipid deposition, whereas the CD and TD formulations promoted markedly higher accumulations of glycogen in the carcass and liver. The high hepatic glycogen content was associated with an elevated hepatosomatic index in the CD- and TD-fed groups. Plasma T3 levels were lower in the CD- and TD-fed groups, possibly a response to the low dietary protein or indicative of dietary insufficiency in these fish. Of the three diets evaluated, the SD was considered to be the best in terms of the growth performance parameters measured, and offers an economical and appropriate diet for intensive culture of juvenile white suckers.     

Effects of simazine treatment on channel catfish and bluegill production in ponds

Application of 13.4 kg/ha of simazine to the bottom of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) ponds before flooding resulted in an extended period of low dissolved oxygen, a 19% reduction (P < 0.01) in channel catfish yield, and poorer feed conversion by fish when compared to control ponds. A single application of 1.5 mg/l of simazine to the water of fertilized bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) ponds also decreased dissolved oxygen. The 11% reduction in bluegill yield was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Simazine treatment caused an initial reduction in macrophyte coverage in bluegill ponds, but macrophyte coverage increased as simazine concentrations in the pond water declined.     

Threadfin shad impacts phytoplankton and zooplankton community structures in channel catfish ponds

Plankton community structure and chlorophyll a concentration were compared in twelve 0.1 ha earthen ponds co‐stocked with channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque, 1818) in a multiple‐batch culture (initial biomass=5458 kg ha^?1) and a planktivore, threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense Güther, 1867; initial biomass=449 kg ha^?1), during the April–November growing season. We used a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement to test the planktivore level (presence or absence of threadfin shad) and channel catfish feeding frequency (daily or every third day). Channel catfish were fed a 32% protein feed to apparent satiation on days fed. The presence of threadfin shad affected phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure more than did feeding frequency, and the impact in ponds was more pronounced after 1 July. The numbers of all major groups of zooplankton were lower in ponds with threadfin shad, but were unaffected by the feeding frequency. Chlorophyll a concentration before 1 July was higher in ponds with threadfin shad and unaffected by the feeding frequency, whereas after 1 July it was higher in ponds without threadfin shad and that were fed daily. Phytoplankton community structure after 1 July was dominated by nuisance algal bloom genera of cyanobacteria in ponds without threadfin shad and by Bacillariophyceae in ponds with threadfin shad.     

斑点叉尾(鱼回)成鱼池塘高产养殖试验

斑点叉尾原产于美洲中部、东部的淡水和咸淡水中，具有生长快、适温范围广、抗病力强、出肉率高等特点。我们在２０００年进行了斑点叉尾成鱼池塘高产养殖试验，并取得了成功。一、材料和方法１．池塘条件试验池塘面积１．８亩、底泥２０cm，水深２．０m，注排水方便。水源采用水质清新、无污染的地下水。池塘配备３kW叶轮式增氧机一台。２．池塘消毒与肥水鱼种放养前１０天，用生石灰１００kg／亩对池塘进行彻底消毒（干法），消毒后施入２００kg／亩发酵的鸡粪作为基肥培肥水质。３．鱼种投放鱼种投放前用３％的食盐水进行鱼体消毒，具体…     

Comparative water quality and channel catfish production in earthen ponds and a biofloc technology production system

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.     

Impact of weather on off-flavour episodes at a Louisiana commercial catfish farm

The catfish aquaculture industry is hampered by off-flavour events that affect timely fish sales. In this study, weather data were correlated with geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) levels in 21 commercial pond's water samples. Samples were collected weekly for 44 weeks. The off-flavour compounds, geosmin and 2-MIB, were quantified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Weather data were collected near the catfish farm and included maximum and minimum air temperature, rainfall, average wind velocity, maximum and minimum humidity, and maximum and minimum soil temperature. Geosmin was weakly and positively correlated with air and soil temperatures, and weakly and negatively correlated with wind velocity. 2-MIB was strongly and positively correlated with air and soil temperatures, moderately and negatively correlated with wind velocity, and weakly and positively correlated with maximum humidity. There were no bivariate relationships between rainfall, minimum humidity or pond size, and levels of either off-flavour compound. Using logistic regression, the best predictors for off-flavour status based on geosmin levels included minimum soil temperature, rainfall and minimum humidity. The best predictors for off-flavour status based on 2-MIB levels included minimum soil temperature and average wind velocity. Soil temperature and rainfall were risk factors for off-flavour, while humidity and wind velocity were protective factors.     

Phytoplankton succession in intensive marine shrimp culture ponds treated with a commercial bacterial product

Succession of phytoplankton dominance was studied in shrimp culture ponds treated with commercial bacterial products. Diatoms were dominant and the cyanobacteria were absent in both treated and control ponds at the beginning of the culture period. After 34 days, the diatoms significantly decreased whereas cyanobacteria increased in both ponds. Chlorophyll a increased from a mean of 35.56 mg m^?3 in the first phase to 186.00 mg m^?3 in the final phase, and from 42.12 mg m^?3 to 242.81 mg m^?3 in the treated and control ponds respectively. Cyanobacteria were significantly higher in the control compared with the treated ponds during the final phase of the culture. Algal bioassay showed that the addition of nitrogen either alone or with silica to pond water significantly increased the specific growth rate of Chaetoceros calcitrans. The specific growth rate of Oscillatoria sp. significantly increased when a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon was added to the pond water. Addition of silica seemed to depress the growth rate of Oscillatoria sp. Nutrient enrichment should be minimized and the supply of nitrogen and silica should be adequate for promoting the growth of beneficial phytoplankton in aquaculture systems.     

Effects of aeration in earthen ponds on water quality and production of white catfish

Comparing effects of air volumes of zero, 6.9, and 10.4 m³/min per ha (0, 100, and 150 ft³/min per acre) indicated that greater volumes of air resulted in increased fish production. Increased volumes of air resulted in proportionate increases in dissolved oxygen content, allowing greater weights of food to be offered to fish without depleting the oxygen content of the pond water. Chemical oxygen demand was inversely related to the volume of air delivered.     

Farm-level costs of settling basins for treatment of effluents from levee-style catfish ponds

Compelled by pending regulatory rule changes, settling basins have been proposed as a treatment alternative for catfish pond effluents, but the associated costs to catfish farmers have not been estimated. Economic engineering techniques were used to design 160 scenarios as a basis for estimating total investment and total annual costs. For static-water, levee-style catfish pond facilities, sizing of settling basins is controlled by factors such as type of effluent to be treated, pond layout, size of the largest foodfish pond, number of drainage directions, scope of regulations governing effluents, and the availability of land. Regulations that require settling basins on catfish farms would increase total investment cost on catfish farms by $126–2990 ha⁻¹ and total annual per-ha costs by $19–367 ha⁻¹. More numerous drainage directions on farms resulted in the greatest increase in costs. While both investment and operating costs increased with larger sizes of foodfish ponds, costs per ha were relatively greater on smaller than on larger farms. For farms on which existing fish ponds would have to be converted to settling basins, over half of the cost was due to the production foregone and annual fixed costs of the pond. Requiring catfish farmers to construct settling basins would impose a disproportionately greater financial burden on smaller farms. The magnitude of the increased costs associated with settling basins was too high relative to market prices of catfish for this technology to be economically feasible.     

斑点叉尾鮰养殖池塘底泥微生物群落结构特征及其影响因素

微生物群落在水产养殖环境中起着重要作用,深入了解微生物群落组成及其构建机制对了解池塘生态功能具有重要意义。本研究通过高通量测序技术研究斑点叉尾鮰（）养殖池塘底泥中细菌群落机构特征,并分析了细菌群落的主要影响因素。结果显示,斑点叉尾鮰养殖池塘底泥细菌群落结构呈现出季节性变化,冬春季样品相似性较高。斑点叉尾鮰养殖池塘底泥优势菌群主要为变形菌门（Proteobacteria）、绿弯菌门（Chloroflexi）、拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）、厚壁菌门（Firmicutes）和酸杆菌门（Acidobacteria）,与池塘水体细菌群落间有明显的差别。线性判别分析显示,冬、春和秋季的特异性优势菌群较为丰富,冬季和春季分布较为集中,分别集中于浮霉菌、拟杆菌门、绿弯菌门和厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门,秋季特异性优势菌群分布特别分散,而夏季优势细菌类群最少,只有绿弯菌门厌氧绳菌属1个属具有显著优势。环境因子中,透明度和总溶解性悬浮物与斑点叉尾鮰养殖池塘底泥细菌群落结构有显著相关（<0.05）,对细菌群落结构的影响也最大。本研究旨为斑点叉尾鮰池塘微生物群落的变化和调控提供借鉴。     

Impact of silver and bighead carps on plankton communities of channel catfish ponds

Stocking of ponds with planktivorous carps in polyculture with channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus and a hybrid) reduced the density of zooplankton when compared to controls. Bighead (Aristichthys nobilis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) similarly reduced zooplankton, though the mechanism of suppression may be different. Phytoplankton biomass was significantly higher in ponds containing bighead and silver carp. Ammonia and nitrite concentrations were similar in bighead and silver carp ponds and were significantly lower than in control ponds.     

Development of a low-energy midwater trawl with different combinations of trawl nets and trawl doors through model experiments

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fisheries are of primary concern because of their effects on the environment. GHG emissions from fisheries are mainly related to their fuel consumption. Furthermore, the fuel consumption of fisheries also influences their economics. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to find ways of reducing fuel consumption in fishing operations that use fishing gear. The fuel consumption of fishing gear is generally related to its hydrodynamic resistance and the distance traveled. It mostly depends on the drag created, which is affected by towing speed. Based on model experiments, this study proposes new designs of trawl net and trawl doors to reduce fuel consumption in fisheries. The low-energy midwater trawl developed here can reduce the resistance force on the gear by 37.5%. It can also save 17% of the fuel consumption per voyage. Furthermore, this study investigates the efficiency of a low-energy trawl from an economic point of view. The findings of this study will be useful in reducing GHG emissions in fishing operations and thus contribute to a reduction in fishing costs through fuel savings.     

An evaluation of three paddlewheel aerators used for emergency aeration of channel catfish ponds

Oxygen transfer rate, power requirement and fuel consumption were determined for three paddlewheel aerators used for emergency aeration of channel catfish ponds. The power requirement of the tractor-powered units was directly related to the diameter of the paddlewheel drum and the paddle immersion depth. Oxygen transfer rates ranged from 6·9 to 41 kg h^?1 and increased linearly with the power requirement. The largest paddlewheel aerator, operated at the maximum paddle depth, produced the highest oxygen transfer rate (41 kg h^?1). Oxygen transfer efficiencies ranged from 1·29 to 1·97 kg kWh^?1.     

Evaluation of a trickling biofilter in a recirculating aquaculture system containing channel catfish

Six 1060 liter recirculating culture systems were tested, differing only in the quantity of filter medium and the recirculating flow rate. After a preliminary loading trial to determine approximate carrying capacities, 45·4 kg of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus averaging 35·6 cm were stocked in each system. After 15 weeks, final loadings ranged from 67 to 85 g liter^?1 system capacities (85–109 g liter^?1 culture tank densities). Water quality was good to excellent when the packed towers contained the medium. Dissolved oxygen was probably the most limiting factor of total production. However, the rate of production was influenced by the combined effect of concentrations of dissolved oxygen, NH₃N and/or NO₂^?N otherwise considered safe.