LaDon Swann MississippiAlabama Sea Grant Consortium Auburn University

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Production Methods

• LaDon SwannMississippi-Alabama Sea Grant
  ConsortiumAuburn University

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Production Methods

• Cages and Pens
• Recirculating systems

• Ponds
• Raceways

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Levee Ponds

• Levee ponds are the most common fish production
  method
• Common food species
• red drum
• catfish
• trout and salmon
• hybrid striped bass
• tilapia
• cobia

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Levee Ponds

• Site selection
• topography
• pesticides
• utilities
• drainage
• wetlands
• clay content
• Types

• Construction
• levee
• depth
• slope
• water
• drains
• Production rates

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Site Selection

• Time spent analyzing a site is time well spent.
• Many problems associated with levee ponds can be
  traced back to poor site selection.

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Site Selection

• Criteria
• topography
• gentle slope
• pesticide residuals
• test
• utilities
• essential

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Site Selection

• Criteria
• drainage
• locate for gravity drainage
• wetlands
• regulatory difficulties
• clay
• 10-20 is idea, but good ponds can be constructed
  with less or more.
• depends soil composition

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Types

• Spawning
• less than 1 acre
• easy to drain/fill
• Fingerling
• 1-5 acres
• easy to drain/refill
• Finishing
• 5 acres or larger
• draining
• continual -- no
• batch -- yes

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Spawning
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Fingerling
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Finishing
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Construction

• Ponds last decades when properly constructed.
• 3-5 K per acre
• Components
• levee
• depth
• slope
• water supply
• drains

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Levee

• Core trench
• dug to anchor levee to existing topography
• core depth equal depth of pond
• filled with high clay content soil
• compacted

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Levee

• Remove soil from central part of pond to
  construct levees
• Add 8-10 layers
• Compact

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Levee

• 20 ft wide main
• harvesting equipment
• 16 ft wide side
• feed trucks

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Slope

• Horizontal distance in feet for each foot of
  height or a2 b2 c2 or s Rise/Run
• 31 minimum inside

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Depth

• Shallow end
• 2.5-3.5 ft
• prevents rooted plant growth
• Deep end
• 6-7 ft (drain)
• prevents unnecessary draining to harvest

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Freeboard

• Freeboard
• height of the levee from the water surface to the
  top of the levee
• 2 ft recommended
• prevents overflow
• erosion control

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Water Supply

• Ponds should be able to fill in 7 days or less
• Use gate or alfalfa valves to control flow

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Drain

• Ponds should able to completely drain in 2 days
  or less.
• PVC pr galvanized
• Anti-seep collar
• prevents seepage around drain pipe
• collar should be 3 times the diameter of the pipe

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Drain

• Swivel drain
• Vertical standpipe

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Production Rates

• Variables
• feed
• aeration
• harvest method
• continual
• batch
• 1,000 to 10,000 lbs./acre

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Raceways

• Site selection
• water supply
• location
• topography
• Types
• series
• parallel

• Construction
• material
• dimensions
• earthen construction
• concrete construction
• Production rates

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Site Selection

• Water supply
• use large quantities of water
• gravity springs are most economical
• Location
• near water supply
• Topography
• 8-10 percent slope
• 18-24 inch water drop

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Types

• Series
• flow through multiple races
• Parallel
• flow through one race

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Construction

• Materials
• any non-toxic material
• must hold water

Concrete
Earthen
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Dimensions

• Ratio of 3031
• aids in water flow
• self-cleaning
• easier harvest

For Example 120 ft x 12 ft x 4 ft
12 ft
120 ft
4 ft
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Production Rates

• Variables
• feed
• aeration
• harvest method
• continual
• batch
• 20,000 to 45,000 lbs./ft3/sec.
• (449 gals/min)

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Cages

• Site selection
• water sources
• water quality
• Types
• round
• rectangular

• Construction
• bag
• frame
• feeding ring
• lid
• floatation
• Placement
• Production rates

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Site Selection

• Types
• Farm Ponds
• Bays and Fiords
• Open Ocean
• Specifications
• Freshwater
• 1 acre minimum
• 4-5 ft. average depth
• Saltwater
• 70-100 ft

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Types

• Types
• Small cages
• Large net pens
• Size
• is based on economics and management

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Construction

• Sizes
• small cages less than 200 ft3.
• large net pens for near and offshore production
• Materials
• non-toxic
• durable
• retains fish
• allow floatation

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Cage Placement

• Specifications
• open areas of water to allow good circulation
• provide space between cages
• number depends on size of pond (carrying capacity)

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Production Rates

• Variables
• feed
• aeration
• harvest method
• continual
• batch
• Carrying capacity
• 10-20 lbs. per ft3
• no more than 1,500-2,000 lbs./acre

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Recirculating Systems

• Site components
• pump house
• emergency generator
• 3 phase electricity
• bulk feed storage
• oxygen supply
• building

• System components
• oxygen
• biological filter
• buffering system
• heaters/chillers
• solids filter
• lighting
• tanks
• Production rates

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Site Components

• Building
• Water
• Electricity
• 3 phase
• Other
• bulk feed
• oxygen tanks
• emergency generator

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Building

• Pole barn
• enclosed or semi-enclosed
• access
• foam insulation
• moisture proof
• floor drains

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Electricity

• 3 phase electricity
• electricity is a major cost and 3 phase will
  reduce the expense
• Emergency generator
• in event of power outage there is a 30 minute
  window to restore power to system.

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System Components

• Primary
• biofilter
• solids filter
• tanks
• pump
• buffering system
• Secondary
• oxygen
• pumps
• heaters/chillers
• lighting

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Biological Filter

• Function
• nitrification
• oxidizes ammonia and nitrite to nitrate

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Solids Filter

• Types
• sand filter
• settling chambers
• inclined tubes
• screen filters
• Function
• settleable (feces and food)
• also some suspended

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Tanks

• Criteria
• non-toxic
• durable
• corrosion resistant
• Materials
• fiberglass
• concrete
• plastic
• glass
• others with liners

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Pump

• Types
• impeller driven
• airlift
• Purpose
• to return water through system
• usually placed after biofilter

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Oxygen

• Sources
• aerators
• agitators
• blowers
• ventura pumps
• oxygenation
• packed towers
• U-tubes
• cones

Packed tower
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Bicarbonate Drip

• Rational
• CO2 from respiration
• nitrification is an acidifying process
• Purpose
• add alkalinity to water

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Other Components

• Lighting
• low light levels reduce stress to fish
• Heaters/chillers
• depending on species

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Production Rates

• Variables
• feed
• aeration
• harvest method
• continual
• batch
• ¼ to 1 lb./gallon

FeedAerationContinual Harvesting