Proposal and assessment of an aquaculture recirculation system for trout fed with harvested rainwater

A sustainable aquaculture production involves alternatives, as recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), in order to increase the water supply efficiency. This paper aims: a) to propose a method for dimensioning a RAS filled and additionally supplied with water from a rainwater harvesting systems (RHS) and; b) to evaluate the efficiency of the system based on the supply of rainwater from the RHS, the quality of water in the RAS, and the development of aquatic organisms. A pilot aquaculture farm for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) production was designed and dimensioned. On one hand, the RAS with a configuration based on a treatment tower provided acceptable values of pH, TAN, and alkalinity. The temperature was slightly above the recommended temperature but did not negatively impact trout development. On the other hand, the water use efficiency reached 178 L/kg of fish, instead of 210,000 L/kg in an open flow system for trout rearing. The RHS fulfilled the additional required water on the test period of the pilot farm and is expected to supply at least 92% on average during the useful life. Regarding the aquatic organisms’ development, the system allowed both a better Length/ weight ratio and a lesser mortality rate compared to previous studies of RAS. In contrast to other studies in the literature, the mathematical models for dimensioning the system were calculated as a function of the final biomass expected in the tank instead of the quantity of supplied feed. Therefore, this method confirmed the applicability of this alternative criterion for designing biofilters and aquaculture systems.