EFFECTS OF BIOBALLS ON CARBON AND NUTRIENT DYNAMICS IN HIGH INTENSITY

ZERO EXCHANGE SHRIMP (Lipopeneaus vannamei) RACEWAYS

J.H. Francis, K.S. Dillon, J.M. Lotz, and J.T. Ogle
Department of Coastal Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs, MS 39564
N itrite (NO 2 ) N it ra te ( N O 3 )
800

Introduction T ank 9
T ank 10
18 0 00

Zero Exchange high intensity raceways are an attractive 600 T ank 11

T ank 12
16 0 00

14 0 00
method for aquaculture systems due to minimal

Concentration (uM)
12 0 00

Concentration (uM)
environmental impact from no discharge of nutrient rich 400

water to the surrounding soil and water shed. The spreading

10 0 00

8 0 00
Average Shrimp Mass
200
of disease is also limited due to the closed system. In order 6 0 00

to maintain water quality in the system microbes 0

4 0 00

2 0 00 20
suspended in particles referred to as the biofloc are used. 0
18
The biofloc can also contribute to the nutrition of the 0 5 / 0 5 /0 9 0 5 / 2 6 /0 9 0 6 / 1 6 /0 9 0 7 /0 7 / 0 9 0 7 /2 8 / 0 9 0 8 /1 8 / 0 9 09/08/09 0 9 / 2 9 /0 9 05 /0 5 /0 9 05 /2 6 /0 9 0 6/ 16 /0 9 0 7/ 07 /0 9 0 7/ 28 /0 9 0 8 /1 8/ 09 0 9 /0 8/ 09 0 9 /2 9/ 09
16
shrimp. One of the more important functions of the biofloc

Ave r age M ass (g)

D a te D a te
14
is cycling inorganic nitrogen compounds. Nitrite (NO2) is
12 Survival % Harvest (kg)
toxic to shrimp and its accumulation is a major problem in A m m o n iu m ( N H 4 ) S o lu b le R e a ctive P h o sp h o r o u s ( S R P )

high intensity raceway systems. Excess nitrite buildup is 10 0% 0

70 7 00
8 Tank 9
caused by incomplete nitrification, a two step process (NH 4- T an k 9

260.95
60
Ta n k 9
Ta n k 1 0 6 00
T an k 1 0
T an k 1 1
6 Tank 10 77%
>NO2->NO3). Ta n k 1 1
T an k 1 2

There were two different treatments in this study: two

50 Ta n k 1 2
5 00 4 Tank 11 8% 25.1

Concentration (uM)
Concentration (uM)
tanks (9, 12) containing bioballs and two control tanks (10,
40
4 00 2 44% 25.1
161.55
Tank 12
11). The bioballs are intended to provide a physical surface
30
3 00
0
20
area for the microbes to attach and grow. This should allow 2 00
5/5/2009 5/26/2009 6/16/2009 7/7/2009 7/28/2009 8/18/2009 9/8/2009 9/29/2009
10
the establishment of a microbial population that will 1 00
Date
increase rates of nutrient cycling, particularly nitrification to 0

0
commence quicker, instead of having to wait on suitable 0 5/ 0 5 /0 9 0 5/ 2 6 /0 9 0 6/ 1 6 /0 9 0 7/ 0 7 /0 9 0 7/ 2 8 /0 9 0 8 /1 8 /0 9 0 9 /0 8 /0 9 0 9 /2 9 /0 9 0 5/ 0 5/ 0 9 0 5 /2 6 /0 9 0 6 /1 6 /0 9 07 / 07 / 09 0 7/ 2 8/ 0 9 0 8 /1 8 /0 9 0 9 /0 8 /0 9 09 / 29 / 09

D a te D a te
substrate to accumulate in the raceways
D is so lv e d O r g a n ic C a r b o n ( D O C ) T o ta l D isso lve d N itro g e n ( T D N )
Discussion
Materials and Methods 80 0 0 1 80 0 0
The carbon pool is dominated by POC which is up to 23 times higher
Ta n k 9 1 60 0 0 T a nk 9
than the DOC fraction. Within the nitrogen pool, concentrations of the
This study was conducted over a 18 week growout period 70 0 0 Ta n k 1 0
Ta n k 1 1 1 40 0 0
T a nk 10
T a nk 11 dissolved fraction was equal or slightly above those of the particulate
Ta n k 1 2 k T a nk 12
in four concrete raceways measuring 30.1m x 3.2m X 1.22m. 60 0 0
1 20 0 0 fraction and NO3 was the dominate dissolved nitrogen species. The
Concentration (uM)

Concentration (uM)
Each week water samples were collected for analysis of 50 0 0
1 00 0 0
particulate C:N ratios suggests that heterotrophic plankton make up the
dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen 40 0 0
80 0 0
majority of particulate organic matter which could also help explain why
60 0 0
(TDN), particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and 40 0 0
the particulate fraction of carbon was higher than the dissolved. The thick
30 0 0
PON), ammonium (NH4), nitrite (NO2), nitrate (NO3), soluble 20 0 0 microbial mats on the top of the tanks may also account for the particulate
20 0 0
reactive phosphorous (SRP) and bacterial abundance (BA). 0 carbon fraction dominating over the dissolved.
A repeated measures ANOVA was used on all parameters to 10 0 0
0 5/ 05 /0 9 0 5 /2 6 /0 9 0 6/ 16 /0 9 0 7 /0 7 /0 9 0 7/ 28 /0 9 0 8 /1 8 /0 9 0 9/ 08 /0 9 0 9 /2 9/ 0 9 0 5/ 05 /0 9 0 5/2 6 /0 9 06 /1 6 /09 07 /0 7/ 09 0 7 /2 8/ 09 0 8 /18 /0 9 0 9/ 08 /0 9 0 9/ 29 /0 9 The uptake of NH4 and NO2 followed by an increase in NO3
determine if the addition of bioballs proved significant or not. D a te D a te
concentrations suggest that nitrification was taking place in all the tanks,
however the establishment of a nitrifying population took 3 to 4 weeks
P a r tic u la te O r g a n ic C a r b o n ( P O C ) P a r tic u la te O r g a n ic N itr o g e n ( P O N ) while the total bacterial abundance remained fairly constant. During this
Results 1 e+ 5 1 80 0 0
period NO2 reached high and potentially lethal concentrations.
The shrimp grew at similar rates in all tanks including those with large
Tank 9 1 60 0 0 T an k 9
DOC fluctuated from week to week and ranged from 1807 Tank 10 T an k 1 0
8 e+ 4 Tank 11 1 40 0 0 T an k 1 1 proportions of mortalities. This suggests that individual shrimp health was
to 7165 µM. TDN increased over time in all but one tank (# 9) Tank 12 T an k 1 2
1 20 0 0
not compromised until sudden die-offs were observed. At this time, the
Concentration (uM)

Concentration (uM)

6 e+ 4
and ranged from 2310 to 16912 µM. POC and PON 1 00 0 0
cause of these large mortalities are unclear.
concentrations varied through the study period ranging from 4 e+ 4 80 00
The bioballs are designed to provide a physical surface area for the
2309 to 83007 µM and 476 to 15921 µM, respectively. The C:N 2 e+ 4
60 00

microbial community to attach allowing for the more rapid establishment

40 00
ratio for particulate matter ranged from 3.91 to 5.59. NH4 20 00 of a nitrifying population however in this experiment there was no
concentrations decreased from 50 – 60 µM to less than 10 µM. 0
0
statistical significance between treatments for any of the variables. The
Bacterial abundance was similar in all tanks and ranged from 0 5 / 0 5 /0 9 0 5 /2 6 / 0 9 0 6 / 1 6 / 0 9 0 7 / 0 7 /0 9 0 7 /2 8 / 0 9 0 8 /1 8 / 0 9 0 9 / 0 8 / 0 9 0 9 /2 9 /0 9 0 5/0 5 /0 9 05 /2 6/ 09 0 6 /1 6/ 09 0 7/ 07 /0 9 07 /2 8 /0 9 08 /1 8/ 09 0 9 /0 8/0 9 0 9/ 29 /0 9 value of an increased surface area could still prove useful by allowing
1.2x107 to 6.4x107 cells/ml. NO2 concentrations initially D a te D a te
nitrifying bacteria to colonize earlier and prevent a build up of nitrite which
increased to (500 - 700 µM), and then decreased dramatically. may also reduce stress on shrimp by providing a stable environment
Ba c te r ia A b u n d a n ce
NO3 concentrations were low (5 - 20 µM) then as NO2 sooner.
concentrations decreased and remained low, NO3 increased 7e +7
T an k 9
to >15000 µM. SRP is 90+% of the total phosphorus measured 6e +7
T an k 1 0
T an k 1 1
in the tanks and tended to increase then decrease ranging 5e +7
T an k 1 2

from 77 to 645 µM. The mass of the shrimp increased

Average Cells/mL

4e +7
throughout the growout in all tanks (0.91 to 18.5 g). The
impact of the bioballs proved to not be significant with p- 3e +7
Acknowledgements
values over 0.05 for all parameters with the exception of NO 2 2e +7

and SRP. NO2 and SRP data failed to meet the normal 1e +7 Funding was provided by the USDA US Marine Shrimp
distribution assumption of an ANOVA. 0
Farming Program
05 /0 5/0 9 0 5/ 26 /09 0 6/1 6/ 09 07 /0 7/0 9 0 7/ 28 /09 0 8/1 8/ 09 09 /0 8/0 9 0 9/ 29 /09

D a te

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