You are on page 1of 10

Aquacultural Engineering 2 (1983) 153-162

Applications of Water Reuse Technology for Overwintering Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense at Northern Latitudes
R o y C. H e i d i n g e r , L a r r y J. W a w r o n o w i c z a n d B r u c e L. T e t z l a f f

Fisheries Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, USA

ABSTRACT Two indoor water reuse systems which incorporated biofiltration were used to overwinter threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense in southern Illinois (latitude 37N) during the winters o f 1980-81 and 1981-82. Initially, 26 964 and 11 500 threadfin shad were stocked into the two systems, respectively. Survival rates were 33% for the first overwintering period and 63% ]'or the second. Ground Tetra-SM80, Silver Cup Salmon Starter and Silver Cup Salmon No. 1 were readily accepted by the fish. No disease problem was encountered for either overwintering period, but a nutrient deficiency was suspected among some o f the 1981-82 overwintered fish.

INTRODUCTION The threadfin shad Dorosorna p e t e n e n s e has potential as forage for sport fishes such as white crappie P o r n o x i s annularis, white bass M o r o n e c h r y s o p s and walleye S t i z o s t e d i o n v i t r e u m (Goodson, 1966: Myhr, 19 71" Range, 1973 ; Heidinger, 197 7); however, the threadfin shad will not survive long periods of water temperatures, below 10C, and must be restocked each spring in reservoirs where the ambient water temperature falls below 10C during the winter months (Heidinger and Imboden, 1974). At the latitude o f southern Illinois, threadfin shad populations are extremely prolific because the young-of-the-year will spawn (Heidinger 153 Aquacultural Engineering 0144-8609/83/$03.00 Applied Science Publishers Ltd. England, 1983. Printed in Great Britain

154

R. C. Heidinger, L. J. Wawronowicz, B. L. TetzlaJf

and Imboden, 1974). Thus annual spring restocking is practical, since only three or four adult fish per hectare are required to produce an abundance of young-of-the-year fish. For spring stocking, threadfin shad from the wild may be taken on their spawning run below reservoir dams in southern states, and, in some cases, from power cooling reservoirs. It is necessary to accurately predict the time o f the spawning run when attempting to obtain threadfin shad below dams, while in power cooling reservoirs the fish must be taken in the warmwater discharge in the early spring before they disperse throughout the lake. In either case, the fish may only be readily available while the water in the lake to be stocked is too cold to permit survival, or after many o f the shad are spent. An alternative approach to providing threadfin shad for spring stocking is to overwinter the fish indoors. Since it would not be economically feasible to heat water in a single-pass system, the objective of the present study was to overwinter threadfin shad indoors on commercially available diets in water reuse systems which incorporate biofiltration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Two indoor water reuse systems (one 12 650 liter and one 16 000 liter) which incorporated biofiltration were used to overwinter threadfin shad during the winters o f 1980-81 and 1981-82, respectively. Each system contained the following basic components: circular fish holding tanks, biofilters, water volume equalizing and backflushing tanks, an aeration/ head tank, relift and backflushing pumps, aspirators (Burrows and Combs, 1968) and emergency backup systems (Table 1). A flow diagram o f the systems used is given in Fig. 1. The turnover rates in the 870 liter fish tanks used in 1980-81 were 1.7-2.0 times per hour, and 1.0-1.4 times per hour in the 1730 liter tank. In 1981-82, a turnover rate o f three times per hour was used in the 1205 liter holding tanks. The 1980-81 water reuse system was filled and maintained with well water. Charcoal-filtered city water was used in 1981-82. During both overwintering periods 13% of the water was replaced daily. Forced-air furnaces were used both winters to regulate the water temperature. Both systems were activated for 16 days prior to stocking the threadfin shad. In 1980-81 the biofilters were seeded with substrate from an activated biofilter, and liquid ammonium hydoxide was added to main-

Water reuse technology );or overwintering threadfin shad

155

TABLE 1 Components of the Two Water Reuse Systems Incorporating Biofiltration Used to Overwinter Threadfin Shad

System components

1980-81 system Number Volume (liters)


870 1 73O 1 730 1 730 1 730 300 b 3000 l 3 890 a

1981-82 system Number Volume (liters)

Circular holding tanks Downflow biofilters a Water volume equalizing and backflushing tank Aeration/head tank Relifi pumps Backflusb pumps Total volume

8 1 2 1 1 2 1

8 2 2 1 2 1

1 205 1 730 1 730 1 730 450 e 450 c 18 300 a

a The biofitters used in 1980-81 contained 2-5 cm volcanic rock as substratum, with a combined surface area of 362 m 2. The biofilters used in 1981-82 contained 4-5 cm limestone rock as substratum, with a combined surface area of 633 m 2. b Each 1 hp centrifugal pump had a maximum pumping capacity of 300 liters per rain per pump. e Each 1 hp centrifugal pump had a maximum pumping capacity of 450 liters per rain per pump. a Actual total water volumes of the systems were 12 650 and 16000 liters, respectively. The 10% and 13% difference in total volume and actual volume is accounted for by freeboard in the fish holding tanks and space occupied by biofilter substrate.

tain a m m o n i a - n i t r o g e n levels at 3 p p m . T h e following year, the biofilters were seeded with substrate f r o m an activated biofilter, soil and 14 g o f Silver C u p fish feed. A m m o n i u m sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) was added to raise and m a i n t a i n a m m o n i a - n i t r o g e n c o n c e n t r a t i o n s at approxim a t e l y 3.0 mg liter -1. T h r e a d f i n shad were s t o c k e d into b o t h s y s t e m s w h e n a m b i e n t w a t e r t e m p e r a t u r e s in the holding p o n d s ranged f r o m 10-12C. Fish were seined with a 0 . 6 - c m - m e s h net and hauled ill 0.6-1-1 mg liter -1 quinal-

156
Aer~lOnlheadtank

R. C. Heidinger, L. J. Wawronowicz, B. L. Tetzlaff

Hold|r~ I,ankl

I:~emrvolr

Fig. 1.

A flow diagram of the water reuse systems used to overwinter threadfin shad for 22 and 26 weeks.

dine and 0.2% salt. Water from the holding facility was slowly pumped into the hauling tank in order to acclimate the shad from the 10-12C pond water to the 17-18C water in the reuse system. In the fall of 1980, a single stocking of 2 6 9 6 4 threadfin shad (53 kg) loaded the system at a rate of 2.1 shad liter -1. In the fall o f 1981, 11 500 shad (44 kg) were stocked at a rate o f 0.7 shad liter -1. Approximately 1/3 o f these fish were stocked at two-day intervals. The threadfin shad were fed the following sequence o f commercial diets: ground Tetra-SM80, Silver Cup Salmon Starter, and Silver Cup Salmon No. 1. During 1980-81, the feed was dispensed by hand 1-3 times per day between 1000 and 1400 h and 4 times per day (0400, 1200, 1600 and 2400 h) by auger feeders (Wehr and Lewis, 1974). Only auger feeders were used in 1 9 8 1 - 8 2 and the fish were fed at 2-h intervals 12 times per day. Feeding commenced 1 day after stocking at a rate o f 2-5% b o d y weight per day. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), alkalinity and mortality were monitored on a regular basis. Temperature was measured with a Welasler thermometer, dissolved oxygen with a Yellow Springs model 54 oxygen meter and NH3-N, NO2-N and NO3-N with a Hach DR-A colorimeter. Water samples were taken between 1000 and 1400 h daily.

Water reuse technology for o verwintering threadfin shad

15 7

General m a i n t e n a n c e o f the s y s t e m consisted o f b a c k f l u s h i n g the biofilters and s i p h o n i n g the fish tanks. O n e biofilter was b a c k f l u s h e d o n c e per d a y and all o f t h e fish t a n k s were s i p h o n e d 3 - 7 times per week.

RESULTS Of 2 6 9 6 4 threadfin shad initially stocked during 1980, 33% or 8935 shad weighing 36 kg were harvested after 22 Weeks (Table 2). 29% of
TABLE 2

Mortality Rates and Mean Weekly Water Quality Parameters in the Fish Holding Tanks During the 1980-81 Overwintering of 26964 Threadfin Shad in a Recycle System

Week

Weekly Chmu- NH3-N NO2-N NO3-N mortality lative (mg (mg (rag (%) mortality liter-') liter -1) liter -1}

pH

Tempera- Oxygen ture {mg {C) liter -l}

(~)
1 3.8 3.8 3.6 0.5 1.5 a

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13

10'5 8.8 9.2 2.1 1.5 1-3 0.8 0.8 0.7 1-4 2.0
1-2

13.9 21.8 28"6 30.1 31.1 32.0 32.5 33-1 33.5 34.5 35-8
36-6

0.9 0.7 1.0 0.6 0'8 1-2 0.6 1.1 0.9 1.2 1-6
1-2

2.8 1-1 0.6 0.3 0-4 0.4 0.3 0-3 0.2 0.2 0.3
0-2

2-9 5.3 10-7 16-0 17.5 16-7 14.9 12.9 17.5 19-5 14-8
21.0

8.8 9-0 9.0 7.2 7.2 7.2 7.7 7.2 7.2 7.2 7-2
6.6

14 15
16

44.2 1.5
1.2

64-7 65.2
65-6

1.4 1.2
1.0

0.3 0"2
0.2

12.0 15.8
15.5

a 7-2
7.0

17 18 19 20 21 22

1-0 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.3 0.3

66.0 66.3 66.5 66.7 66.8 66-9

1.0 0-6 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.7

0.2 0.1 0.2 0-3 0.1 0-1

15.5 7.2 10-5 12.2 6-6 7-1

7.2 7-5 7-0 7.2 a a

18 18 19 19 18 18 18 17 17 18 17 17 17 20 19 18 18 17 19 21 20 20

8.0 8.8 8.2 7.5 7.5 5.9 6.6 7.2 7-6 6.5 7.1 7.3 6.6 6.2 6.5 7.0 7.6 8.2 6-5 6.8 7.1 7.5

a Missing data.

158

R. C. Heidinger, L. J. Wawronowicz, B. L. Tetzlaff

the c u m u l a t i v e m o r t a l i t y o c c u r r e d during the first 4 weeks o f the h o l d i n g period. A n a d d i t i o n a l 28% o f the c u m u l a t i v e m o r t a l i t y was caused by a l e n g t h y p o w e r o u t a g e in w e e k 14 ( F e b r u a r y 1981). The r e m a i n i n g 13% o f the c u m u l a t i v e m o r t a l i t y o c c u r r e d rather evenly
TABLE 3

Mortality Rates and Mean Weekly Water Quality Parameters in the Fish Holding Tanks During the 1981-82 Overwintering of 11 500 Threadfin Shad in a Recycle System

Week

Weekly Cumu- NH3-N NO2-N NO3-N mortality lative (mg (mg (mg (%) mortality liter -1) liter -a) liter-a)

pH

Tempera- Oxygen ture (mg (C) liter -a)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11

24.6 1.7 0.2 1.5 1.2 1.0 1.8 0.4 0-3 0.2
0.3

24.6 25-9 26.0 27.1 28-0 28-7 30.1 30.3 30.6 30.7
31.0

1-4 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0 3.0 1-1 7.4
1.3

1.4 0.9 0.1 0.1 0-2 0-4 0.4 1-3 0.2 0.2
0.2

3.1 9.4 17.1 20.0 25.7 25-8 22.7 22.1 a a


a

7.7 7.4 7.5 7.3 7.2 6.9 7.0 7.1 7-0 6-8
7.0

20 25 24 23 23 23 23 21 21 21
20

8-5 7.5 7.4 7.0 7-5 6.2 6-1 6.7 6.4 6.9
6.6

12
13

0.6
0.3

31.4
31.6

0.8
1.0

0-1
a

a
a

7.0
7.0

19
20

7.1
7-4

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

0.2 0.4 0.2 0.3 0-6 0-3 0-8 1.3 0.7 0-1 0.4 0.8 1.8

31-7 32-0 32-2 32.4 33.2 33.4 34.0 34-8 35.2 35.3 35.6 36-0 36-7

1.0 0-6 0.6 1.1 0.8 1.3 1.2 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.1 1-2

0.3 0.1 a a a 0.2 0.1 0-2 0.1 0.4 0-2 0.2 0-1

20.6 20.7 18-8 25.0 20-0 20.1 19.2 24.9 28.3 28-8 24.7 27.4 21.8

7.2 7.1 7.1 7.0 7.1 7.0 6.9 6.6 6-8 6.8 6.9 7.0 7.0

20 20 20 21 19 20 21 21 18 19 18 20 17

7.4 7.8 7.9 7.6 7-9 6.7 6.6 6.6 7.3 7.8 6.8 7-5 7.9

a Missing data.

Water reuse technology ]'or overwintering thread fin shad

159

throughout the holding period and could not be ascribed to any particular cause. The survival rate for threadfin shad overwintered for 26 weeks during the winter of 1981-82 was 63.4% (Table 3). A total o f 7275 shad weighing 57 kg were harvested from the initial stocking of 11 500 fish. 2 7 % of the cumulative mortality occurred during the first 4 weeks of operation, most o f it during the first week. The remaining 8% of the cumulative mortality occurred rather evenly, from the second week the fish were in the system until they were harvested in April 1982. Water quality measurements indicate that the systems were fairly stable after the fish were stocked for 2 weeks (Tables 2 and 3). In 1980-81, total ammonia-nitrogen (N) averaged 3.6 mg liter -~ during the 1st week; the highest average weekly value in 1981-82 was 7.4 mg liter -~ during the 10th week. Mean holding tank total ammonia-nitrogen. molecular ammonia-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen and dissolved oxygen concentrations over the 1980-81 22 week overwintering period were 1.14 mg liter -1, 0.05 mg liter -1, 0.62 mg liter -1, 11.6 mg liter -1, and 7.2 mg liter -~, respectively. Mean holding tank total ammonia-nitrogen, molecular ammonia-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen concentrations over the 1981-82 26 week overwintering period were 1.16 mg liter -1, 0.01 mg liter -~, 0.34 mg liter -a , 21-6 mg liter -~ and 7.2 mg liter -~, respectively. Mean water temperatures were 18.3C in 1980-81 and 20.7C in 1981-82.

DISCUSSION it is biologically feasible to overwinter threadfin shad in a water reuse system incorporating biofiltration. Without the lengthy p o w e r outage, a much better survival rate would have been obtained during the 198081 overwintering period. Adding the 7338 shad lost during the power outage to the total number o f fish harvested would give a survival rate o f 61-3%. This survival rate would have been similar to the 63-4% survival rate obtained during the 1981-82 overwintering period. The initial pulse o f ammonia-nitrogen in 1980-81 was due to stocking all o f the shad at one time. In 1981-82, this initial pulse o f ammonia-nitrogen did not occur because larger biofilters were used, the density o f fish was less and the fish were stocked in 3 equal lots over a 1 week period. During the 10th week o f the overwintering period in 1981-82 ammonia-nitrogen reached 7-4 mg liter --1. This appeared to

160

R. C. Heidinger, L. J. Wawronowicz, B. L. Tetzlaff

be due to a buildup o f organic material in the biofilters and the situation was corrected by vigorously backflushing the biofilters. During the first 4 weeks o f operation in 1980-81 the weekly mortality rates averaged 8%. This mortality was associated primarily with stress due to handling the fish, relatively high ammonia levels and the fact that some o f the fish never seemed to learn to take the artificial food. In 1981-82 attempts were made to improve the seining and transportation techniques. Thus 0.6-1.1 mg liter -1 quinaldine and 0-2% salt were added to the buckets and hauling tank that were used to move the fish. Even with the addition of an anesthetic and salt, and low ammonia levels at stocking, mortality during the 1st week approached 25%, and, by the end of the 4th week, cumulative mortality was 27%, which closely approximated the 29% cumulative mortality that occurred in 1980-81. We are currently ( 1 9 8 2 - 8 3 ) overwintering threadfin shad in a similar recycle system and cumulative mortality rates during the first 4 weeks have been only 5%. The only difference in procedure was that instead o f using a tarred, knotted-mesh type o f seine, we used a nontarred, braided-mesh seine to harvest the fish from the pond. Threadfin shad scale very easily during seining, and it is possible that the braidedmesh, non-tarred seine is much less abrasive, thus scaling is less and subsequent osmotic problems are avoided. The ground Tetra-SM80 and Silver Cup diets were readily accepted by the threadfin shad. The fish accepted the feed 1-3 days after feeding commenced. A nutrient deficiency was suspected among some o f the 1981-82 overwintered fish. The affected fish were characterized by lordosis, reabsorption o f the operculum, lack o f pigmentation o f the dorsal side, swimming in circles and, in some cases, clubbed gills. These characteristics can be caused by a vitamin C or pantothenic acid deficiency. Approximately 40% of the shad that died exhibited these symptoms. Under experimental conditions, spinach blended to a pur6e was offered to threadfin shad in 4 tanks at a rate o f 250 grams per tank per week, along with the regular diet. The spinach diet fed at this rate did not eliminate the problem, but it did reduce the number o f affected fish. After 1 m o n t h of supplementary feeding, 3 tanks where the spinach was not used had 3 times as many affected fish as the 4 experimental tanks. Growth o f threadfin shad on the artificial diet was excellent, considering the relatively low temperature at which the fish were held. In 1980-81, the average weight o f shad at stocking was 2 g and at harvest

Water reuse technology for overwintering thread fin shad

161

3.8 g. Larger fish (3-8 g) were stocked in 1981-82 and their average weight at harvest was 7.8 g. The carrying capacities of the two water reuse systems were not reached and stocking rates could be increased. The biofilters of the 12 650 liter and the 16 000 liter water reuse systems had surface areas of 362 m 2 and 633 m 2, respectively. Theoretically, based on a feeding rate of 2-5% b o d y weight per day, 0.027 kg ammonia produced per l kg food, and 200 mg ammonia oxidized by l m 2 biofilter medium, 107 kg fish could be held in the 12 650 liter system and 188 kg in the 1 6 0 0 0 liter system (Lewis et al., 1981). Initially, 53 kg o f threadfin shad were stocked and 36 kg harvested in the 12 650-liter system that was used in 1980-81. In 1981-82, 44 kg o f shad were stocked and 57 kg harvested in the 16 000 liter system. The expense o f operating a threadfin shad overwintering system can be broken down into heating, pumping and food cost. These costs depend upon many factors such as outside temperature, insulation, power cost and duration of the holding period. Our food cost was $185. A building with 65 m 2 floor space would be required. Since heating costs would be so variable, no attempt was made to project them. Our electrical pumping cost was approximately $450 for 22 weeks.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported by the Illinois Department of Conservation (Dingell-Johnson Project F-38-R) and by the Office of Research and Development Administration, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. The authors accept full responsibility for the form and content of the data presented here.

REFERENCES Burrows, R. E. & Combs, B. D. (1968). Controlled environments for salmon propagation. Prog. Fish-Cult., 30 (3), 123-36. Goodson, L. F., Jr. (1966). Crappie. In: Inland Fisheries Management, ed. A. Calhoun, Calif. Dep. Fish Game, pp. 312-22. Heidinger, R. C. and Imboden, F. (1974). Reproductive potential of young-of-theyear threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense in southern Illinois lakes. Trans. 17l. Acad. Sci., 67 (4), 397-401.

162

R. C. Heidinger, L. J. Wawronowicz, B. L. Tetzlaff

Heidinger, R. C. (1977). Potential of the threadfin shad as a forage fish in midwestern power cooling reservoirs. Trans. Ill. Acad. Sci., 70 (1), 15-25. Lewis, W. M., 1-Ieidinger, R. C. and Tetzlaff, B. L. (1981). Tank culture of striped bass production manual. Illinois Striped Bass Project IDC F-26-R, Fish. Research Lab., Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Myhr, A. I. (1971). A study of the white bass, Morone chrysops Rafinesque, in Dale Hollow Reservoir, Tennessee, Kentucky. MS Thesis, Tennessee Tech. Univ. Range, J. D. (1973). Growth of five species of game fishes before and after introduction of threadfin shad into Dale Hollow Reservoir. 26th Annu. Conf. S.E. Assoc., Game Fish Comm., 26, 510-18. Wehr, L. W. and Lewis, W. M. (1974). An electrically operated automatic feeder. Prog. Fish-Cult., 36 (2), 117-18.

You might also like