This document summarizes a biofloc fish culture system that integrates tilapia farming with vegetable crop production. Waste from the fish tanks is used to fertilize and irrigate vegetable crops. Tilapia are stocked at 25 fish per cubic meter and fed twice daily to satiation. They grow to approximately 720 grams with 95% survival over 7-8 months. The waste-fed vegetable crops see marketable yields of 41 metric tons per hectare of pak choi and 3.7 metric tons per hectare of bell peppers. Fingerlings are also produced on-site in smaller tanks, with 4,400 fry reared for 12 weeks to reach 50 grams. Future research areas include
This document summarizes a biofloc fish culture system that integrates tilapia farming with vegetable crop production. Waste from the fish tanks is used to fertilize and irrigate vegetable crops. Tilapia are stocked at 25 fish per cubic meter and fed twice daily to satiation. They grow to approximately 720 grams with 95% survival over 7-8 months. The waste-fed vegetable crops see marketable yields of 41 metric tons per hectare of pak choi and 3.7 metric tons per hectare of bell peppers. Fingerlings are also produced on-site in smaller tanks, with 4,400 fry reared for 12 weeks to reach 50 grams. Future research areas include
This document summarizes a biofloc fish culture system that integrates tilapia farming with vegetable crop production. Waste from the fish tanks is used to fertilize and irrigate vegetable crops. Tilapia are stocked at 25 fish per cubic meter and fed twice daily to satiation. They grow to approximately 720 grams with 95% survival over 7-8 months. The waste-fed vegetable crops see marketable yields of 41 metric tons per hectare of pak choi and 3.7 metric tons per hectare of bell peppers. Fingerlings are also produced on-site in smaller tanks, with 4,400 fry reared for 12 weeks to reach 50 grams. Future research areas include
This document summarizes a biofloc fish culture system that integrates tilapia farming with vegetable crop production. Waste from the fish tanks is used to fertilize and irrigate vegetable crops. Tilapia are stocked at 25 fish per cubic meter and fed twice daily to satiation. They grow to approximately 720 grams with 95% survival over 7-8 months. The waste-fed vegetable crops see marketable yields of 41 metric tons per hectare of pak choi and 3.7 metric tons per hectare of bell peppers. Fingerlings are also produced on-site in smaller tanks, with 4,400 fry reared for 12 weeks to reach 50 grams. Future research areas include
An integrated agriculture system for the intensive farming of tilapia with water reuse for vegetable crop production. production occurs on a small land area removed from the fish tank is used to irrigate and fertili ze vegetable crops uContinuous aeration uMixing to maintain suspension of bacterial floc uBiofiltration in water column uSettleable solid waste removal once daily uFeed twice daily with floating feed (32% protein) uFeed ad libitum for 30 40 minutes uMonitor pH daily, maintain pH 7-7.5 with Ca(OH)2 uAdd CaCl2 to prevent nitrite toxicity
Tilapia Production
Stocking: uNile tilapia u25 fish/m 3 @ 50-g each (5,000/tank)
Harvest: u 720 g each 95% survival u7,500 lbs per crop, 15,000 lbs annually
uFish
uWaste
Feeding with floating pellets to satiation
Vegetable Production Marketable yield from crops fertilized and irrigated with fish culture water, sludge, or inorganic fertilizer (mt/ha) Culture water
Pak choi: Bell pepper: Forage grass:
41.0 3.7 -
Sludge
Inorganic Fertilizer
40.9 5.0 12.9
35.2 4.6 6.4
Fingerling Production
System Design
3.66 m
380-L clarifier Air-lift pump Baffle
uOne
fish rearing tank, 200 m 3
u16 m diameter, 1 m mean water depth uBlock wall, 30 mil HDPE liner uOne external cylindro-conical clarifier, 1.4 m3 uOne HP pump for horizontal circulation uOne to three HP pumps for vertical aeration uOne solids collection pond uOne water distribution pump uOne bird deflection device uLand area - 0.02 ha (1/20 acre)
u4,400
fry (1-g each)
for 12 weeks uHarvested at 50-g u90% survival uFed 4 times each day (30 minutes ad libitum)
u11-m 3
rearing tank L clarifier u9 L/min flow through clarifier u (1 exchange per day) u22 airstones u1/2 HP blower
uReared
u370
Future Research Water Treatment
Fish production strategies
Water quality management
staggered stocking and
partial harvests fingerling rearing in cages polyculture
denitrification tank for
removal of nitrate flow rate for optimal removal flowers for added economic benefits aeration methods paddlewheels
A Training Manual on Aquaculture for Caribbean Sids: Improving Water-Related Food Production Systems in Caribbean Smal L Island Developing States (Sids)
Doing Aquaculture as a Business for Small- and Medium-Scale Farmers. Practical Training Manual. Module 2: The Economic Dimension of Commercial Aquaculture
