Superintensive pisciculture associated with hydroponic system and water recirculation

Abstract

The advance of tilapia raising throughout the world is leading to an increase of effluent discarding in the environment causing huge damage to the nature. Although, when super-intensive pisciculture, water recirculation and hydroponics are put together, the residuum is not discarded, but reused by the plants. This work had the aim of analyzing the tilapia Oreochromis niloticus growth, as well as the water quality, simultaneously, in order to validate the integration between the intensive pisciculture and hidroponia, without using fertilizes, in a closed circulation system using an outdoor biofilter. The physical-chemical water qualities were monitored during the whole experiment period. The fish showed length and final weight of 17,6 cm and 100,2 g, respectively, and a density of 130 fish/m³ . The total consumption feed was 4760 g and the feed:gain ratio was 0,5. Forty-three lettuce plants were obtained, with a diameter average of 33,6 ± 5,9 cm and weight 158,33 ± 49,19 g by the end of the experiment. It was possible to conclude that the developed system may assure the sustainable and optimized development in the aquatic activity, making the use of water through the integration of the hydroponic system rational.