.

Aquaculture 170 1999 245252

Short communication
Nutrient budgets in tanks with different stocking
densities of hybrid tilapia
Abdul Qayyum Siddiqui
)
, Ahmed H. Al-Harbi
Research Institute of Natural Resources and Enironment, KACST, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi
Arabia
Accepted 16 October 1998
Abstract
Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets were estimated in 12 indoor fiberglass tanks stocked with
.
3
hybrid tilapia Oreochromis niloticus=O. aureus at densities of 1 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg and 15 kgrm
and reared for 14 days. Each density was replicated three times, and the experiment was repeated
five times. The water in each tank was changed daily. Fish were fed a 34% protein tilapia feed to
.
satiation twice daily. Feed consumption rate significantly decreased P-0.05 with increasing
.
density, but the FCR did not vary significantly P)0.05 among the treatments. The production
of one kilogram of fish required 2.02.2 kg of feed in different stocking density treatments, while
87.195.6 g nitrogen and 12.613.8 g phosphorus were released into the water, as metabolic
waste. Of the feed input, 21.4% of the nitrogen and 18.8% of the phosphorus were incorporated in
the fish harvested. q1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Tilapia; Tank; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Budget
1. Introduction
There are 25 operational tilapia farms in Saudi Arabia. In most of these farms
concrete and fiberglass tanks are used. The production systems range from simple
technology practiced in earthen ponds with some supplementary feeding and no aeration
to intensive aquaculture practices in concrete tanks with 100% dependence on artificial
.
feed and intensive aeration Siddiqui and Al-Najada, 1992 . In these farms 20 to 100%
of tank water is exchanged daily with fresh water, depending upon the density of fish.
Most of these farms are located on agricultural land where there is considerable demand
)
Corresponding author
0044-8486r99r$ - see front matter q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
.
PII: S0044- 8486 98 00421- 9
( )
A.Q. Siddiqui, A.H. Al-Harbi rAquaculture 170 1999 245252 246
for irrigation water. The aquaculture effluent which is estimated to be around 20,000
3
.
m rday Al-Jaloud et al., 1993 , is being used to irrigate different types of crops.
. .
Al-Jaloud et al. 1993 and Hussain and Al-Jaloud 1995 reported a 50% savings in
nitrogen application as an inorganic fertilizer when aquaculture effluent from tilapia
tanks was used to irrigate wheat crops.

Nutrient budgets of a number of freshwater ponds Avnimelech and Lacher, 1979;

.
Boyd, 1985; Daniels and Boyd, 1989; Foy and Rosell, 1991a,b and seawater ponds
.
Krom et al., 1985; Krom and Neori, 1989; Briggs and Funge-Smith, 1994 have been
reported. The waste loadings from tank culture systems have been quantified mainly for
.
salmonid fish culture including, adult Fivelstad et al., 1990; Beveridge et al., 1991 and
.
juvenile stages Hennessy et al., 1996; Kelly et al., 1996 . Although tilapia culture in
tanks is becoming popular, particularly for intensive aquaculture, no studies on nutrient
budgets in tanks stocked with tilapia have been made.
The purpose of this study was to estimate budgets for nitrogen and phosphorus in
tanks stocked with different densities of fish, and then to establish the contribution of
aquaculture effluent as a potential source of nutrients for agricultural crops.
2. Materials and methods
.
Twelve fiberglass tanks 1.5 m=1 m=1 m located in a greenhouse were used in
this study. Each tank was filled with 500 l water, which was completely drained and
refilled with freshwater daily between 0700 and 0800. The tanks were stocked with
. .
hybrid tilapia Oreochromis niloticus=O. aureus average weight, 81"6 g at
stocking densities of 1 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg and 15 kgrm
3
in triplicate tanks on 11 November
1995. A sample of three fish was taken for dry matter, total nitrogen and total
phosphorus. The fish were fed a 34% protein tilapia commercial feed to satiation within
.
30 min twice daily 0900 and 1500 , six days a week, and care was taken that no feed
was left uneaten. Every morning faeces from each tank were collected by siphoning,
dried and stored for analysis. All tanks were uniformly aerated. After fourteen days of
rearing all fish from each tank were caught and weighed. Excess weight of fish from
each tank was removed and the experiment was continued with the same group of fish
and the same stocking densities over five intervals with one exception. In tanks with 1
3
. .
kg fishrm , no fish were removed in the second 26.11.1995 and fourth 24.12.1995
repetitions, and the densities were 1.15 kgrm
3
and 1.1 kgrm
3
, respectively, over these
periods.
.
Water samples from the inflow pipe and the 12 tanks before any exchange of water
were collected on alternate days and analyzed for dissolved oxygen using a Hach
. .
oxygen meter Hach, Loveland, Colorado , nitrite nitrogen diazotization method ,
.
nitrate nitrogen cadmium reduction , total Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus acid
.
persulphate method following the methodology of American Public Health Association
.
et al. 1989 . Total nitrogen was taken as the sum of nitrite nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and
total Kjeldahl nitrogen. Maximumminimum water temperatures were recorded daily in
one tank.
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A.Q. Siddiqui, A.H. Al-Harbi rAquaculture 170 1999 245252 247
.
Fish three fish from each tank after 70 days rearing , feed and faeces samples were
.
oven-dried, and standard methods AOAC, 1984 were followed to determine dry
.
weight, total nitrogen Kjeldahl method and total phosphorus. Values were means of
.
three replicates. Total feed offered for 12 days provided the input gain of nitrogen and
phosphorus.
Nutrient loadings from the fish tanks were calculated as the difference between daily
.
outflow and inflow concentrations multiplied by water volume 500 l and duration 14
.
days of the experiment. As there was no significant difference in daily loadings among
the experimental repetitions, the means were based on three replicates and five repeti-
. .
tions ns15 . Total nitrogen and total phosphorus lost through faeces 14 days and
.
fish harvested after 14 days were added to the loss through the outflow.
. .
Analysis of variance ANOVA using software by Statgraphics 1986 was used to
.
compare percent increase in weight, feed consumption rate and feed conversion FCR
ratio of tilapia in different treatments. LSD range test was used to compare treatment
means. Level of significance was set at 0.05. Percentage data were transformed to arc
.
sin values prior to analysis Zar, 1974 .
3. Results and discussion

Daily maximum and minimum water temperatures during the period of this study 12
.
November 1995 to 21 January 1996 ranged from 23 to 278C and 16 to 248C,
.
respectively Table 1 . A water temperature of 23278C were available for at least 68

h daily, which is reported to be suitable for tilapia feeding and growth Chervinski,
.
1982; Siddiqui and Howlader, 1991; Siddiqui et al., 1993 . Feed consumption rate was

3
. .
highest at the lowest stocking density 1 kgrm and decreased significantly P-0.05
with increasing density, indicating that feed intake was influenced by stocking rate. It
appears that space factors and deterioration in water quality with increasing density
.
Table 1 affect feed intake. However, FCRs were not significantly different within this
Table 1
Means and standard deviations of maximum and minimum water temperatures, total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrite
and nitrate nitrogen and total phosphorus in inflow and outflow waters
Inflow Outflow
3
.
Stocking density kg fishrm
1 5 10 15
.
Max. T 8C 27"0.2 25.2"1.0
.
Min. T 8C 17.8"1.5
.
Total N mgrl 16.8"3.1 17.5"2.0 19.5"2.5 21.5"1.8 22.1"2.1
.
NH -N mgrl 0 0.04"0.01 0.14"0.02 0.31"0.1 0.47"0.1
3
.
NO -N mgrl 0 0.20"0.02 0.36"0.04 0.46"0.1 0.52"0.1
2
.
NO -N mgrl 16.8"3.1 16.6"0.8 17.2"0.6 17.4"0.1 17.4"0.6
3
.
Total P mgrl 0.06"0.1 0.14"0.1 0.45"0.2 0.72"0.2 0.85"0.3
.
Data for the entire period 12 November to 21 January of the experiment were pooled.
Temperature of inflow water was measured in the morning at the time of filling the tanks.
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A.Q. Siddiqui, A.H. Al-Harbi rAquaculture 170 1999 245252 248
Table 2
. .
Mean "s.d. increase in biomass, feed consumption rate and feed conversion ratio FCR of tilapia cultured
at four different densities
3
. . .
Stocking rate kgrm Increase in biomass % Feed consumption rate % bwrd FCR
1 12.2"2.9a 2.0"0.3a 2.0"0.3a
5 10.6"2.0ab 1.8"0.2b 2.0"0.4a
10 9.9"1.9b 1.6"0.1c 2.0"0.2a
15 7.8"1.6c 1.3"0.1d 2.2"0.1a
.
Means in a column with different letters are significantly different P-0.05 .
. .
FCRsdry feed fed g rwet weight gain g .
.
range of stocking density Table 2 . Percent increase in biomass was highest in tanks
3
.
stocked with 1 kg and 5 kgrm , and decreased significantly P-0.05 at 10 kg and 15
kgrm
3
stocking densities. It was presumably influenced by the rate of feed consumption
.
Table 2 .

On a dry matter basis, the FCRs ranged from 7.4 to 7.9 and the metabolic waste g
.
dry feed-g dry fish was 87% of the feed. Thus, each kilogram of dry feed produced 0.13
kg of dry fish and 0.87 kg of metabolic waste.
Nutrient loss rates from fish farms are dependent on FCR, nutrient content of the feed
.
and fish produced Foy and Rosell, 1991a . In the present study, with FCRs being
almost the same for tilapia stocked at different densities, the nutrient loss increased
proportionately with the increasing input of feed associated with increasing biomass.
Therefore, the maximum levels of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were recorded for

3
. .
tanks stocked at the highest density 15 kgrm Table 1 .
The input of nitrogen through the feed applied in different density treatments ranged

3
.
3
.
from 5.5% 1 kgrm to 34.8% 15 kgrm of the overall nitrogen input. The largest
. .
source of nitrogen was nitrate from the inflow ground water Tables 1, 36 . Total
phosphorus was mainly contributed by the feed and formed 69 to 95% of the total
.
phosphorus input in tanks of different stocking densities Tables 1, 36 .
Table 3
.
Mean gains and losses g and standard deviations for nitrogen and phosphorus in tanks stocked with 1 kg
3
.
tilapiarm for periods of 14 days ns15, 3 replicates, 5 periods
. .
Nitrogen g Phosphorus g
Gains
.
Feed consumed 122.8"24.3 g 6.79"0.9 0.94"0.1
Inflow 117.60"11.4 0.42"0.05
Total 124.39"13.5 1.36"0.01
Losses
.
Fish harvested 61.5"12.0 g 1.43"0.2 0.17"0.05
Faeces 0.37"0.1 0.21"0.05
Outflow 122.50"14.1 0.98"0.1
Total loss 124.30"14.8 1.36"0.1
Un-accounted 0.09"0.05 0
Total 124.39"15.6 1.36"0.1
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A.Q. Siddiqui, A.H. Al-Harbi rAquaculture 170 1999 245252 249
Table 4
.
Mean gains and losses g and standard deviations for nitrogen and phosphorus in tanks stocked with 5 kg
3
.
tilapiarm for periods of 14 days ns15, 3 replicates, 5 periods
. .
Nitrogen g Phosphorus g
Gains
.
Feed consumed 550.9"48.4 g 29.34"2.5 4.11"0.3
Inflow 117.60"11.5 0.42"0.03
Total 146.94"16.2 4.53"0.1
Losses
.
Fish harvested 268.9"50.5 g 6.20"0.8 0.77"0.1
Faeces 1.27"0.2 0.72"0.1
Outflow 136.50"15.1 3.01"0.1
Total loss 143.97"15.5 4.50"0.1
Un-accounted 2.97"0.1 0.03"0.05
Total 146.94"16.2 4.53"0.1
Fish harvest removed 2122% of the nitrogen applied through feed in all the
.
treatments Tables 36 . The removal of nitrogen through faeces varied from 5.4% 1 kg
3
.
3
. .
fishrm to 3.6% 15 kg fishrm . The largest amount of total nitrogen 5972% was
lost through aquaculture effluent. Similarly, the loss of phosphorus was mainly through
aquaculture effluent, 6062% of feed input; fish harvest removed 1819% and fish
faeces 1922%. The nutrient budgets were not balanced ones, as 1 to 15% of input
nitrogen and 0 to 3% of input phosphorus through the feed were not accounted. Both
unaccounted nitrogen and phosphorus levels increased with increasing density of fish.
This suggests that the nitrogen estimates for fish were low, a multiplicative effect as
.
density increases. Foy and Rosell 1991a reported 12% nitrogen in excess and 2.4%
.
loss of total phosphorus in a Northern Ireland fish farm. Daniels and Boyd 1989
Table 5
Mean gains and losses and standard deviations of nitrogen and phosphorus in tanks stocked with 10 kg
3
.
tilapiarm for periods of 14 days ns15, 3 replicates, 5 periods
. .
Nitrogen g Phosphorus g
Gains
.
Feed consumed 975.0"74.2 g 53.88"6.4 7.54"0.6
Inflow 117.60"11.5 0.42"0.03
Total 171.48"14.9 7.96"0.6
Losses
.
Fish harvested 506.3"96.4 g 11.59"1.6 1.45"0.1
Excreta 2.10"0.2 1.19"0.1
Outflow 150.43"15.5 5.04"0.5
Total loss 164.43"15.8 7.66"0.5
Un-accounted 7.36"0.9 0.28"0.1
Total 171.48"15.5 7.96"0.5
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A.Q. Siddiqui, A.H. Al-Harbi rAquaculture 170 1999 245252 250
Table 6
.
Mean gains and losses g and standard deviations of nitrogen and phosphorus in tanks stocked with 15 kg
3
.
tilapiarm for periods of 14 days ns15, 3 replicates, 5 periods
. .
Nitrogen g Phosphorus g
Gains
.
Feed consumed 1138.8"89.9 g 62.69"5.6 8.77"0.6
Inflow 117.60"11.5 0.42"0.03
Total 180.29"14.4 9.19"0.6
Losses
.
Fish harvested 587.7"119.4 g 13.57"1.5 1.68"0.1
Faeces 2.28"0.2 1.68"0.1
Outflow 154.70"15.5 5.95"0.5
Total loss 170.55"15.4 8.91"0.5
Un-accounted 9.74"1.3 0.28"0.1
Total 180.29"16.0 9.19"0.5
.
reported a loss of 63% of nitrogen through denitrification and diffusion NH in a
3
.
brackish water pond. Based on a 24-h study, Porter et al. 1987 reported that the total
.
nitrogen excreted by gilthead seabream was formed by ammonia nitrogen 30% ,
. . .
dissolved organic nitrogen 30% , faecal nitrogen 10% and growth nitrogen 30% ,
.
when calculated as a percentage of the ingested feed. Krom et al. 1985 reported an
incorporation of 2040% of total nitrogen intake through the feed in fish flesh of
gilthead seabream.
Based on these data, the potential of this aquaculture effluent as a source of crop
nutrients appears to be insignificant. Three hundred kilogram of Nrha and 200 kg Prha
.
are required for a wheat crop Bashour and Al-Jaloud, 1984 . Average water require-
3
.
ment is 5008 m rha Al-Zeid et al., 1988 . Therefore, to irrigate a wheat crop with
.
aquaculture effluent containing total nitrogen 0.75.3 mgrl and total phosphorus
.
0.080.79 mgrl , through feed input, would provide 1.2% to 9.4% of total nitrogen and
.
0.3% to 2.5% of total phosphorus requirements. Al-Jaloud et al. 1993 and Hussain and
.
Al-Jaloud 1995 reported a 50% saving in nitrogen application as an inorganic fertilizer
when aquaculture effluent from tilapia tanks was used to irrigate wheat crops. Their
conclusion was based on the presence of 40 mgrl of total nitrogen in the aquaculture
effluent, and no nitrogen was found in the inflow water. Considerable variations, both
diurnal and seasonal, in the water quality characteristics of aquaculture effluent have
.
been reported Hennessy et al., 1996; Kelly et al., 1996 , and have been found to be
affected by many factors, including weather, culture systems and their management,
water turnover rate, feed type, feeding schedule, stocking density, species cultured and
.
developmental stages Ziemann et al., 1992 .
Acknowledgements
Feed, faeces and fish samples for dry matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, and
aquaculture effluent for total Kjeldahl nitrogen were analyzed by the Regional Agricul-
( )
A.Q. Siddiqui, A.H. Al-Harbi rAquaculture 170 1999 245252 251
ture and Water Research Center, Riyadh. We are extremely thankful to the Director and
Technicians of the Center for their valuable help. We also thank Mr. Sheikh Karimullah,
Technician Analytical Lab., for making some water analyses.
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