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Ashland NFWCO
 Midwest Region
 ***Dedicated To Tribal Aquaculture Programs***http://www.fws.gov/midwest/ashland/mtanhome.html      Fish Jumping          **June 2007 ~ Volume 60****Coordinator:                  Frank G. Stone                   (715-682-6185) Ext. 12                  U.S. Fish and                  Wildlife Service                Email: [email protected]**                **Edited                  By:                  Elizabeth W. Greiff                   (715-349-2195) Ext. 5141                  St. Croix Tribal Nat. Res. Depart.                Email:  ****[email protected]****** Topics  Of Interest: * Aquaculture Field Day and Vendor Fair  * Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility  *** Partitioned Aquaculture Systems**  ***** Calculating Surface Areas  Hot News !Aquaculture Field Day and Vendor Fair June 14-15, 2007 - Bayfield, WI. Click here for more information!   Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility  UW- Stevens Point      ****Walleye Project Summer 2006**By Gregory J. Fischer, Facilities Manager**  **NADF LogoIntroduction**      During the summer of 2006, the UW Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture  Demonstration Facility (NADF) continued to cooperatively work with the Lac  Courte Oreilles Tribal Fisheries Program (LCO) providing approximately 450,000  fry, 37,827 fingerlings, and 7,876 extended growth walleyes for the tribes’  lake stocking program.          The information  presented in this case study describes the methods used in a “cookbook” style how the NADF incubated and raised the walleyes in two half  acre outdoor earthen ponds (approx. 391,000 gallons) utilizing several types  of organic and inorganic fertilizers, various aeration systems and forage  minnows.  The intent of this report is to  provide information to assist other aquaculture and hatcheries that are raising  walleyes and other coolwater fish.  **Methods** Adult male and female walleye were collected by NADF and  WIDNR staff using fyke nets set in lakes on April 18 from Big LCO Lake.   Eggs are stripped by hand from female walleyes into plastic containers  and milt was added from several males utilizing both wet and dry methods.  More than one male was utilized for several  reasons; because milt from a single male may not be capable of fertilizing  eggs, and for maintaining genetic diversity. After eggs and milt are in the pan,  water was added and the combination stirred with a soft brush or feather.  Stirring continues for several minutes and a  slurry of bentonite clay is added to the mixture.  Continue stirring and adding some fresh water  for several minutes.  The egg clay  mixture is then rinsed off with fresh water and placed into a larger bucket or  cooler of fresh oxygenated water.  Water  in the container was freshened periodically to keep oxygen levels up and  maintain water temperature.  Water hardened  eggs were transported to NADF for incubation in the bell jar incubation system  located at the facility. Approximately 1,200,000 eggs were placed in McDonald style  egg jars for rearing on April 18.  Water  temperature was maintained between 48-50 degree F throughout incubation,  temperature was increased during hatch out to aid in hatching.  Water flow through jars was approximately 1.0  gpm and then increased to 1.5 gpm once eggs became eyed.  Dead eggs were removed daily from the  hatching jars through siphoning.  A  chicken waterer with a 15 minute (1,200 mg/l) formalin drip was used daily  to control fungus.  Formalin treatments were discontinued nearing egg hatchout.  Fry hatching began on April 30 and lasted  several days.  Strong swimming fry were  stocked into prepared 17,600 sq.ft (0.4 acre) outdoor earthen ponds 3 and  4 at the rate of approximately 150,000 fry per pond on May 3 and May 4,  respectively.  Additionally, this year  approximately 450,000 walleye fry were provided back to the LCO Natural  Resources Department and stocked into local lakes for conservation purposes on  May 8. **Two different types of organic fertilizer, soybean meal and  alfalfa meal, were used this year in two separate walleye outdoor rearing ponds  to do comparison evaluations.   The fertilizer type, cost, and application rates are as follows:** **Pond 3:** Filled partway and prepared  approximately one week in advance with 400 pounds of alfalfa meal,  2.25 gallons liquid 28% nitrogen urea, and 1.0 lb. granular 0-45-0.   Granular phosphate was liquefied with heated water before application.  A total of 900 pounds of alfalfa meal ($150.00), 3.75 gallons of 28% nitrogen ($145.00), and 3.0 lbs. of 0-45-0 phosphorous  fertilizer ($27.00) were added during May-July to stimulate plankton  blooms.  Supplemental aeration was  also provided via the facilities main 5 h.p. rotary blower and two round membrane  diffusers. **Pond 4:**  Filled partway and prepared  approximately one week in advance with 400 lbs of soybean meal, 2.25  gallons of liquid 28% nitrogen urea, and 1.0 lb. of granular 0-45-0 phosphorous  fertilizer.  Granular phosphate  fertilizer was liquefied with heated water before application.  A total of 1000 pounds of soybean meal ($129.00), 3.75 gallons of 28% nitrogen ($132.00), and 3.0 pounds of  0-45-0 phosphorous fertilizer ($27.00)  were added during May-July to stimulate plankton blooms.  Supplemental aeration was provided via the  facilities main 5 h.p. rotary blower and two handmade pvc airlifts. **Results** Walleye fry were observed around edges of the ponds in  daylight and at night with lights in May.   Plankton populations were average, but seemed adequate as sampled fish  condition was good.  Early fish sampling  in both ponds yielded good numbers of fish per seining attempt which  hypothetically meant good numbers in the ponds.   Pond temperatures as well as the plankton populations increased in June. Walleyes from  both ponds were sampled on a weekly basis to assess length, weight, and fish  condition.  Length and weights were  very uniform throughout the summer for both ponds.  Fish condition was excellent.  Ponds were monitored  daily for temperature, oxygen and pH throughout the summer (Table1.).  The lowest oxygen level in Pond 3 was in  July at 3.2 ppm.  Lowest oxygen level in  Pond 4 was in June at 4.1ppm.  The highest  oxygen level recorded was  around 12.0 ppm. for both ponds in July and August. No problems related to  oxygen or temperature were  observed.  There didn't seem to be an identifiable  difference in stratification or oxygen levels in either pond  with the different aeration systems.  **Table 1.  2006 season temperature, ph, and oxygen    measurement ranges in NADF outdoor walleye rearing ponds 3 and 4**.**Pond #**    **Month**    **Temperature Range    (degrees C)**    **pH    Range**    **Oxygen    Range (ppm)**    **Notes****3**    May    10.0 - 24.0    7.9-9.9    4.5 - 16.6Jun    18.0 - 22.0    8.7-9.1    5.8 - 8.1Jun    12.7 - 24.0    8.1-8.7    6.8 - 8.4    values    after draining for fingerling harvest and refillingJul    22.0 - 27.0    8.1-9.2    3.2 - 12.0Aug    19.6 - 25.0    8.8-9.3    5.8 - 10.2Sep    20.0 - 21.0    8.3-9.3    7.7 - 9.7    drained    for e.g. walleye harvest on September 6**4**    May    8.0 - 24.0    7.5-10.0    7.9 - 16.0Jun    18.0 - 22.0    8.1-9.1    4.1 - 8.8Jun    15.0 - 23.0    8.4-9.5    8.0 - 12.0    after    partial draining and refilling for fingerling harvestJul    21.0 - 26.0    7.0-9.5    5.3 - 10.0Aug    19.5 - 26.0    8.8-10.0    7.0 - 12.0Sep    13.0 - 22.0    7.7-10.2    7.7 - 10.2    drained    for e.g. walleye harvest on September 20  Ponds were stocked periodically with a total of 310 gallons (2,480  lbs) of forage minnows of various sizes ranging < 1”to 2” from June through  September.  The ratio of forage minnows to  walleye was approximately 5:1.  The total cost  of minnows was $7,930.00, which was paid by the LCO Fisheries Department. Pond 3 was fully drained on June 13 and all fingerling  walleyes were harvested from the catch kettle for LCO.  Approximately 32,688 fingerling walleyes  (908/lb) (average length 36.0 mm/1.4 inches) were harvested from pond 3.  Pond 3 was then refilled with fresh well  water.  Pond 4 was partially drained and  a portion of fingerling walleyes were harvested using the catch kettle and hand  seines.  Approximately 14,900 fingerling  walleyes averaging 946/lb and 33.0 mm/1.3 inches long were harvested from pond  4 on June 14.  Total fingerlings provided  to LCO at this time were 37, 827.   A fish  health assessment was performed on the walleye fingerlings from NADF on June 2  by Dr Myron Kebus of WIDATCP and a certified clean bill of health was provided. Approximately 5,433 fingerlings from pond 4 were stocked  back into refilled pond 3 for further rearing on July 12 and 13.  Pond 4 had an unknown quantity of fingerlings  left for further rearing.  Fingerling  walleyes were monitored on a weekly basis throughout the summer and averaged  approximately 1.7 mm length increase per day feeding on minnows. Extended growth (E.G.) walleyes were harvested from the pond  3 and 4 on September 6 and September 20 respectively.  Ponds were drawn down slowly through the use  of gate valves and dam boards located in the concrete funnel structure at the  rear of the ponds. Fish were collected and held in the external concrete  collecting kettle with fresh water and aeration. Approximately 7,876 extended  growth walleyes weighing 507 pounds were harvested from the two ponds and  loaded onto the fish distribution truck.   The harvested walleyes ranged from 130 to 175 mm (5.0 to 7.0 inches) in  length and weighed between 28.0 to 31.0 grams (16/pd).  No significant losses were recorded during  harvest.  The walleyes were stocked by  LCO Fisheries Department into local lakes for conservation purposes. The total estimated cost for this NADF project to produce the  fingerling walleye was $1,010.00 ($0.027 per fish) which includes pond  fertilizer, labor, electrical and miscellaneous expenses.  Total estimated cost to produce the extended  growth walleye was $8,330.00 ($1.06 per fish) which includes forage, labor,  electrical, and miscellaneous expenses.  Seining walleye within the catch basin.        Loading the fish into distribution trucks.        Extended growth walleye.        Netting fish into distribution tanks.  **Acknowledgements** Special thanks go to Paul Christel and Bill Nebel at LCO  Natural Resources Department for working with us on this project.  I also would like to thank the WIDNR Tommy  Thompson State Fish Hatchery for helping us collect walleye eggs on behalf of  LCO to start the project.  Sean Charette  and Francis Cadotte from the Red Cliff Tribal Fish hatchery assisted LCO with  hauling the fish.  NADF staff, Kendall  Holmes and Dan Duffy were assisted by college interns, James Barron (UWSP),  Bradley Elm (UWSP), and Kurtis Weber  (UWEC) to provide the necessary expertise monitoring ponds, sample counting and  harvesting walleyes to complete the project. ***Questions or comments regarding this project can be directed  to Gregory Fischer, NADF Facility Manager, at 715-779-3461 or email[email protected]***   The MTAN would like to pose     the following question:    With fixed pond space, is     it still possible to rear a larger quantity of fish in the limited space you     have?    Although the       information below was intended for the rearing of catfish,       the       "out-of-the-box" thinker may gain some insight in adapting different forms       of recirculating systems for      "      your specific fish culture operation." Partitioned Aquaculture Systems    SRAC Publication No. 4500By:  D. E. Brune, G. Schwartz,   A. G. Eversole, J. A. Collier and T. E. SchwedlerThe major advantages of pond fish culture are the low capital cost of earthen ponds and the reliability of pond fish production. Disadvantages are the need to continuously manage pond oxygen concentration and other fluctuating water quality variables, prevent off-flavor, control predators and disease, and provide labor for harvesting. These management difficulties, combined with land, water and environmental constraints, have driven the search for technological improvements in pond aquaculture. One solution has been to shift to more energy-intensive systems, either by increasing aeration (1 to 20 hp per acre) in low-cost ponds or by abandoning ponds altogether in favor of recirculating tank or raceway processes.Partitioned Aquaculture SystemsThe Partitioned Aquaculture System (PAS) developed at Clemson University combines the process control advantage of recirculating aquaculture with the lower cost of pond aquaculture. Many of the management problems of conventional pond culture are linked to the daily diurnal cycles of oxygen production and the uncontrolled algal photosynthesis in ponds.The PAS superimposes a water velocity   field upon the pond, making it possible to reconfigure the pond into separate,   controllable compartments for the processes of fish culture, gas exchange,   algal growth and waste treatment. A high rate of photosynthesis makes possible   a solar powered biological waste treatment capacity that is sustainable   (unlike fossil fuel systems). The PAS adapts algal production to produce a   sustainable, low impact, high-yield, and more controllable fish production   process.Partitioned Aquaculture SystemBeginning in 1989, scientists at Clemson University attempted to develop a system that offered the advantages of high-density raceway culture while coupling waste treatment to the kind of high-rate algal systems previously developed for treating domestic wastewater.Central to the economic success of   the PAS is an energy efficient means of moving large volumes of water at low   velocities uniformly throughout the pond.Uniform water velocities can best be achieved with the use of low rpm (1- to 3-rpm) paddlewheels. This technique of coupling algal growth basins (or high-rate algal ponds) and high-density fish raceways with a paddlewheel-driven water velocity field was termed the Partitioned Aquaculture System (PAS). The PAS partitions pond fish culture into a series of physical, chemical and biological processes linked by computer-controlled, uniform water velocity.The low-speed paddlewheel moves water through the algal basin and fish raceways so the operator can control oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the water. The uniform water velocity field: 1) mixes and disperses nutrients into the entire water column, 2) rapidly turns over algal biomass into the light zone to ensure maximum algae production, and 3) controls water quality across the raceway. A solid settling basin at the discharge end of the fish raceway is where solid waste and/or flocculated algal solids are removed. A relatively shallow (1.5-foot) algal culture basin (waste treatment site) enhances the rate of photosynthesis, thus increasing fish production.The PAS technique (at the highest     yields) depends on the co-culture of filter-feeding fish, shellfish or     detritivoirs. As these species continuously harvest algae they control the     age of algae, the total standing crop of algae, the rate of algal     respiration, and the rate of oxygen production. Co-producing filter feeders     makes nutrient removal environmentally friendly and sustainable, while     yielding a secondary fish crop.Partitioned Aquaculture SystemPAS Design and OperationThe PAS design has evolved over 15 years. During the early years, research focused on optimizing algal culture basin depth, mixing speed, gas exchange and high-density (cage) culture of catfish using four 1/36-acre PAS units. In 1995, six 1/3-acre PAS units were installed. From 1995 to 2001, the limit of the fish carrying capacity was examined and the use of tilapia co culture explored. Finally, in 1999, a single 2-acre commercial scale prototype was installed.System PaddlewheelsThe PAS units use low-speed (1- to 3-rpm) paddlewheels driven by oil hydraulics to move large volumes of water at relatively low head (0.5 to 2.0 inches ∆H).  In the final design, the power requirement of the motor should be based on the “worst case” expected power (highest velocity) and increased to adjust for mechanical losses. Because of the desire for a wide range of water velocities and the use of a single power unit to power two sets of paddles, the 2-acre PAS prototype was fitted with a 3-hp motor, well in excess of actual required power. One of the important modifications of the 2-acre PAS prototype was the use of a second paddlewheel system to independently control raceway water quality (i.e., independent from the algal reactor). This arrangement allows for more precise computer control of dissolved oxygen, ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations in the fish raceway. Cost was reduced by eliminating the multiple channels in the algal culture basin originally used in the 1/3-acre and 1/36-acre PAS units. The 2-acre system uses a gang of paddlewheels with a single 70-footwide by 600-foot-long algal growth channel.Fish RacewaysThe 2-acre system uses a three-channel raceway with the central channel serving to distribute water into the fish raceway. The flow distribution to the raceway is “distributed plug flow,” where individual fish sections are maintained at uniform water quality by introducing side flow velocities in direct proportion to the oxygen demand of each section. Water velocity across the fish raceway is provided by a separate paddlewheel. In this way, the flow and water quality in the fish raceways can be controlled independently of the algal basin. High densities in each fish raceway result in uniformly mixed raceway conditions.In 1999, stocking density     experiments showed that 8 to 10 lbs./ft3 of catfish could be sustained with     no adverse effect on growth, suggesting that overall system costs can be     further reduced by using a single high-density raceway and fewer     paddlewheels.    Other advantages of high-density     raceway culture are that inexpensive netting can be stretched across the top     of the raceway sections to keep out predators, and fish confinement allows     for more efficient use of chemicals to treat or prevent fish diseases. The     walls of the prototype were constructed of concrete-filled cinder block,     although formed concrete or wooden raceways have been used with similar     success.Algal Basin Flow PatternsTo reduce construction cost, the algal culture basin channels were reduced from six in the 1/3-acre units to two in the 2-acre units. This reduced the partition/wall requirement from 3,000 feet per acre to 600 feet per acre. The central dividing wall was constructed of 4- foot-wide, 0.032-inch, black polyethylene attached to a conventional 6-inch mesh “hog wire” fence buried 1 foot in the soil and supported by steel posts. This forms a plastic curtain wall 3 feet high. Flow experiments were conducted in 1999 in the 2-acre unit to determine the uniformity of the water velocity field that can be sustained with different combinations of paddles and paddle rpm. The results suggest that sufficient mixing and flow velocity in the algal channel can be maintained with 50 percent of the flow path driven by paddlewheels in the algal channel.Primary Production in the PASThe most important difference between conventional pond aquaculture and the PAS is the increased algal growth achieved in the homogenous water velocity field. This 3 to 4-fold increase in photosynthesis is the basis for the increase in fish carrying capacity.Algal BiosynthesisThe algal biosynthesis that removes carbon dioxide and ammonia from the pond and adds oxygen to it is the key to the continuous waste treatment, and reuse of pond water, in the PAS.The PAS uses co-culture as opposed     to polyculture.  In polyculture, different species of fish are stocked     into the pond and allowed to feed at large. In PAS culture, the target     species are physically separated from the filter-feeding fish.Fish Production and Feed Application RateNet catfish production in the six 1/3-acre units increased from an average of 3,078 pounds per acre in 1995 to 17,263 pounds per acre in 2000. By 1997, maximum daily feeding rate reached 200 pounds per acre, with an average daily feeding rate for the season of 94 pounds per acre. Maximum fish carrying capacity reached 17,001 pounds per acre in 1999.Fish Health ManagementWhen fish are confined in raceways, chemical treatment of diseases is easier, less expensive and more effective than when fish are in ponds. Controlling the oxygenation of the water also is more effective and less costly than in ponds. Early in the PAS trials (before tilapia co-culture), it was necessary to treat the whole pond for toxic cyanobacteria. When fish in the fish raceway flow are isolated from the algal culture basin such treatments can be made if needed. Columnaris was the most significant disease problem in the PAS. It was controlled effectively with medicated feed and, because of system design, with potassium permanganate. Periodic Costia and monogenetic trematodes were controlled with 1-hour exposure to 250 ppm formalin in the fish raceways. Infrequent occurrences of brown blood were treated by adding sodium chloride to the entire system. Proliferative gill disease (PGD) has affected the winter carryover fish in the PAS. Mortalities ranging from 25 to 100 percent of over-wintered fish have limited production to 17,000 pounds per acre, as opposed to the 20,000 to 23,000 pounds per acre expected from successful grow out of carryover stock. Lowering the pH of sediment by applying hydrated lime has reduced the incidence of PGD in carryover fish in the early spring months.SummaryAquaculture is growing at about 20 percent per year and will, within the next two decades, produce more than natural fisheries. The future development of aquaculture will be severely constrained by the availability of water and environmental concerns. The PAS has the potential to significantly increase fish production per unit area over conventional aquaculture techniques while reducing water requirements by 90 percent per pound of fish produced. This makes it possible to install PAS facilities at sites not suitable for conventional aquaculture production.Calculating Surface AreasIowa State University, University ExtensionRectangular, Circular    and Irregular Shaped Ponds .        Pond with Uniform Slope and Bottom, and Irregular Bottom.**Return          to MTAN selection pageReturn to Ashland FRO home pageReturn to Region 3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service**Product and company          names mentioned in this publication are for informational purposes only.          It does not imply endorsement by the MTAN or the U.S. Government.
 
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