�� �� ��� �� ������� Greetings members,

As 2015 closes, it is time to reflect on the past years’ accomplishments andopportunities.

The IAAI would like to thank each of you for your commitment to aquaculture. Youmake this organization, your organization, possible.

2015 brought about many changes. As the demand for quality aquaculture productssoars in the US and around the globe, each of you will experience what I haveexperienced personally in 2015, if you haven’t already: rapid growth of our aquaculturebusiness.

This is the precise reason we have the IAAI and the reason we, as board members,donate our time to the IAAI. It is our goal to assist your aquaculture hobby or businesswith education, networking and opportunities.

Thank you board members for freely giving your time, experience, talents and skills tothe IAAI.

All of us, members and board members alike, owe The IAAI sponsors a huge thank you.Without their funding and commitment to Indiana Aquaculture… well, nothing elseneeds said.

Our new website launched in 2015. We hosted successful Spring and Fall meetings in2015. We hosted a successful Fish Rodeo also. We elected a new treasurer! There weremany accomplishments.

2016 has a host of goals and tasks mounting for the IAAI board and membership. Wewill be reaching out to the general membership to get more involved. I am excited tointroduce our future board members, YOU, to one another at any and all of ourprograms and functions. We are already scheduling new and exciting events for you andyour colleagues to network in 2016.

Look forward to more from your IAAI. Expect more from your board. Then make adecision to participate in creating the IAAI you desire. After all, we are all members ofthe IAAI to promote aquaculture in Indiana.

Best wishes for 2016,

Glynn Barber

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2015Issue 3

Indiana Aquaculture Association Newsletter

Contents

Page 1Letter from the President

Page 2Aquaculture Industry Tour for

Culinary ProfessionalsIAAI Meeting: Morgan County

FairgroundsIAAI 2nd Annual Fish Rodeo

Page 3DNR Permit Update

Aquaculture is Recognized atthe State Fair

Page 4IAAI Board of Directors UpdateIAAI MArketing Committee

Page 5NCRACPage 6 - 9

Tech Talk: Brown Water BasicsPage 10

2016 IAAI Spring Meeting

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Aquaculture Industry Tour forCulinary Professionals

On November 10th, Purdue University and the Indiana Soybean Allianceput on an Aquaculture Industry Tour for Culinary Professionals. Thepurpose was to bring together producers and culinary professionals toshowcase some of the aquaculture products produced in the state, and forthe producers to learn what the culinary professionals want and need. Wehope to get our locally produced products into their restaurants. The tourincluded a tour of RDM Aquaculture to demonstrate the fast growing saltwater shrimp farm industry of Indiana, and also a tour of TIPPCO FISH todemonstrate a re-circulating aquaculture fish farm. The tour was wellattended and in between the two tours a working lunch was provided atPurdue's Beck Center. During the lunch break there were presentationabout the nutritional quality of seafood, the role of soybeans in aquaculturefeeds, and the status of aquaculture in Indiana. Producers were also invitedto bring product or product information to display. There were threeshrimp farms (JT Shrimp, L and L Shrimp, and Hoosier Shrimp), WhiteCreek Trout Farm, and Green River Aquaponics. The discussion wasinformative, and I believe both producers and culinary professionals gainedfrom the event. - Phil Shambach

IAAI Fall Meeting: Morgan CountyFairgrounds

The IAAI fall meeting was held in Martinsville, IN at the Morgan CountyFairgrounds. We had 36 attendees. The meeting included severalpresentations and a tour of Ozark Fisheries. The meeting presentationsincluded Joseph Cleveland giving an overview of Ozark Fisheries and adescription of what we would see on the tour. Glynn Barber gave apresentation on his company, Environmentally Controlled SustainableIntegrated Agriculture (ECSIA). Next we were given an update on therecent ramifications of legal actions that have left DNR with limitedjurisdiction over privately owned animals in the state, and what wasbeing done to pass new legislation to give the Indiana DNR morejurisdiction. The Morning break was sponsored by the Warren CountyEconomic Development, and Steve Eberly gave a short presentation onwhat the his group did. After the break we had a panel discussion thatincluded Phil Shambach (RAS production), Lyle Andry (FishTransportation), Karlanea Brown (Marine Shrimp Culture), and Dr.Kwamena Quagrainie (Aquaculture Marketing). The panel brieflyintroduced themselves and then fielded questions from the audience.After the panel discussion Chris Weeks explained to us what the NorthCentral Regional Aquaculture Center was and what their currentactivities were. Mark Beckman from Indiana Rural Development thengave an explanation of his organization and the loan guaranteepackages that would apply to aquaculture operations. Amy Stinton thenpresented the new IAAI website to the audience. Sheila Lingle from theIndiana Soybean Alliance was then presented a retirement gift from theIAAI for all of here work helping build the organization up. Sheila thengave a short presentation about the Indiana Soybean Alliance and whatthey were doing to help promote aquaculture. Lunch was sponsored bythe Soybean Alliance. After Lunch Mike Search gave a presentationabout flashing and splicing EPDM tank liners. We then adjourned andmade our way to Ozark Fisheries where Joseph Cleveland gave us agreat tour. - Phil Shambach

IAAI 2nd Annual Fish RodeoThe Indiana Aquaculture Association along with Purdue Universityhosted their second Fish Rodeo at the Purdue UniversityAquaculture Research Laboratory on June 6th, 2015. Everyone inattendance had a great time. The weather was good and there werelots of large mouth bass caught. Bob Rode had reserved two of thelarge mouth bass ponds for fishing. The Indiana DNR provided uswith fishing poles and tackle for the day. There were 8 kids and 5adults that attended. There were plenty of fishing poles and tackle togo around.

Aquaculture is Recognized atthe State Fair

During the 2015 Indiana State Fair, 2015 was the Year of theFarmer. The State Fair featured several different farms,producing several different products. On August 17th Darryland Karlanea Brown, owners of RDM Aquaculture, LLC., alongwith their son Levi, were the farm featured. They spent the dayvisiting several of the different venues at the fair whileanswering questions about shrimp farming and aquaculture ingeneral. The story of how a hog and crop farming family inBenton County, Indiana found their way into raising salt watershrimp in Indiana was captivating. RDM raises and sellsmarket size shrimp from their farm, and also sells productionsystems and juvenile shrimp to other farms. The Browns alsooffer consulting packages to help people get into shrimpfarming. They represented the aquaculture industry well.Congratulations to Darryl and Karlanea on the honor, andthank you for representing our industry. -Phil Shambach

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DNR Permit Update:

By Randy Lang

In August, 2015 all Indiana DNR Fish Hauler and Supplier permit holders werenotified about a change in the status of their permits.

Permit holders received a guidance letter advising them that due to a recentruling by the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Indiana Department of NaturalResources (DNR), no longer requires a permit or license to raise, sell or importfish previously requiring a DNR Fish Hauler and Supplier Permit. A list of thefish no longer requiring a Fish Hauler and Supplier Permit is provided below.The court ruling removed regulatory authority for wild animals legally ownedby an individual. This ruling also includes birds, mammals (including deer,bears, lions, etc.) and reptiles (snakes).

A DNR Aquaculture Permit is still required to sell triploid grass carp or anotherspecies of fish not listed below. Other types of fish still require a DNRAquaculture Permit to raise, sell or import the fish into Indiana, with theexception of fish sold exclusively in the aquarium pet trade or for confinementat a zoo or other public display

It is recommended that prior permit holders keep a copy of their guidanceletter in a transport vehicle when moving fish into Indiana or across statelines. There is a reminder that a Board of Animal Health (BOAH) Pre-EntryPermit is still required for importing VHS susceptible species. Informationabout this requirement is located on the DNR web site at: http://in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3607.htm.

If there is a change in the regulatory status the Indiana DNR will notify priorpermit holders by mail and through other types of contacts. Questionsregarding this change should be directed to Linnea Petercheff, the DNR –Division of Fish and Wildlife, Operations Staff Specialist, at 317-233-6527,lpetercheff@dnr.in.gov.

Types of fish no longer requiring a Fish Hauler and Supplier Permit by DNR:Crappie (white or black), freshwater drum, bluntnose minnow, golden shiner,fathead minnow, bluegill, goldfish, redear sunfish, hybrid sunfish, greensunfish, sucker, bowfin, rock bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, whitebass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, tilapia,buffalo, walleye, bullhead catfish, mosquitofish, warmouth sunfish, burbot,muskellunge, common carp (includes Koi), northern pike, flathead catfish, bluecatfish, white catfish and yellow perch.- Randy Lang

IAAI Marketing Committee

In October the idea of added benefit to members through marketing

support was brought to the board. The board responded by creating

the Marketing Committe. The committee is chaired by Mike Searcy and

is currently made up of a hand full of IAAI board members and

Kwamena Quagraine and Bob Rode from Purdue. The team welcomes

additional volunteers. If you are interested in particapating contact

Mike at mike@indianaaquaculture.com.

During Purdue's recent Aquaculture Industry Tour for Culinary

Professional several farms had the oppurtunity to network with

culinary professionals. One item of discussion was processing. In light

of the culinary communities interest in processed seafood the

committee will be assessing our regional need from the farmers

perspective. The committee will be contact members with a short

telephone serve. Please take the time the help the Marketing Team by

taking a few minutes to answer their questions.

Indiana Aquaculture Association Inc.Board of Directors Update

The IAAI board is excited to announce that the position ofTreasurer has finally been filled after being vacant for aroundnine months. On November 10, during the board's monthlymeeting, Mike Searcy's name was put forward as a nomineeto fill the empty position. He accepted the nomination andwas voted in unanimously. Mike's acceptance of theTreasurer's position then left a opening for a Member-At-Large. During the same meeting Bob Rode's name wasentered as a nominee for the vacant Member-At-Large seat.Bob accepted the nomination and was voted in unanimously.What this means for the IAAI is that for the first time in 2015we have a full board.

The IAAI will be holding elections in 2016 at the SprimgMeeting that has been scheduled for February 13th. If youare interested in serving on the board or as a officer weencourage you to come to the Spring Meeting.

Treasure: Mike Searcy

Mike is the owner/operator ofWhite Creek Farms of Indiana,LLC which is a Rainbow Troutfarm near Cortland, Indiana.Mike's education and workexperience is in QualityManagement and PackagingTechnology in thePharmaceutical Industry withseveral years in the U.S. Navyas a weapons specialist.

Mike has designed and built the barn and the re-circulatingsystems used at WCFI after several years of experimentationand research into RAS technology. The entire project wasdeveloped to provide a profitable and rewarding retirementpackage for Mike and his wife.

Member-At-Large: Robert Rode

Currently Bob is the manager of theAquaculture Research Lab of PurdueUniversity in W. Lafayette, Indiana.The majority of Bob’s job entailsmanagement of the lab’s indoor andpond facilities for aquatics research.Bob also has an extensionappointment and tries to havedemonstration projects of relevanceto producers and interested parties in

the Midwest.

Bob has a varied background working for both the public andprivate sector. Bob was the pond manager at the Universityof Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s research facility, worked on acatfish farm in California and a marine finfish hatchery inNew Hampshire. He was an aquaculture volunteer with thePeace Corps in Thailand. He has a BS in WildlifeManagement from the University of Maine and a MS inAquaculture from Auburn University in Alabama.

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IAAI Board of Directors

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Thank you for the opportunity to provide a follow-up article to theexcellent article that Lyle Andry provided in the 2015 volume 1 IndianaAssociation Newsletter. As indicated by Lyle, the North Central RegionalAquaculture Center (NCRAC) is one of five Regional Aquaculture Centers(RACs) administered by USDA-NIFA. As with all RAC programs, NCRACprojects are driven by needs of the aquaculture community in the NorthCentral Region.

Since inception in 1988, NCRAC has concentrated on cultivating regionalfood-fish species, e.g., bluegill and largemouth bass (sunfish), walleye, andyellow perch. NCRAC-funded projects have: 1) provided needed culturetechnology information for identified culture species for the region; 2)provided needed information regarding viral hemorrhagic septicemia(VHS)and aquatic invasive species (AIS) to the aquaculture industry throughworkshops and materials; 3) provided leadership on fish health issuesthrough support of projects that investigate new animal drugs; 4)developed needed information for fish feeds; 5) developed and maintain aweb site for state import regulations; and 6) provided extension andoutreach materials for the aquaculture industry.

In the 27 years of NCRAC’s existence there have been a number of changesin personnel and program as well as a change in host institution for theCenter; Iowa State University became the lead institution in January 2012with the retirement of Ted Batterson at Michigan State University. Alongwith these changes came a change in the general schedule for the Center.Instead of annual NCRAC conferences where topics are discussed anddecisions are made regarding new projects on specific issues, the Centernow considers projects on a 2-year basis. In even numbered years, there isnow a regional aquaculture conference hosted in the region with the goalof engaging more industry members. In 2014 the North CentralAquaculture Conference was held in Toledo, Ohio and was well received.The 375+ attendees indicated a high degree of satisfaction with theinformation presented as well as the value of the conference.

The new projects that were identified in the 2015 NCRAC meeting includeregional aquaculture extension specialist, base extension, medicatedfeeds, state aquaculture association development and outreach andtraining program for regional aquaculture. The selection of actual projectparticipants is now ongoing and final proposals are being developed;proposals will be sent out for review later this fall.

As farmers are being called on to produce more food on less land,aquaculture has the potential to step in to help fill this demand with safe,sustainable, locally produced food. With this in mind, NCRAC, theWisconsin Aquaculture Association and surrounding state aquacultureassociations are now planning for the 2016 North Central AquacultureConference to be held March 12-13, 2016 at the Crowne Plaza MilwaukeeAirport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Building on the successful 2014 NorthCentral Aquaculture Conference in Ohio, this event will provide the latestinformation on regional aquaculture development, opportunities tointeract with researchers, aquaculture extension specialists and seasonedfish producers, a Trade Show, and the famous Taste of WisconsinAquaculture cooking demonstration.

This conference is open to all fish farmers – established or beginning -students, researchers, university staff, agriculture and fisheriesdepartment staff, and any others interested in aquaculture. Informationon lodging, the conference schedule, and registration will be posted onlineat WisconsinAquaculture.com under “Events” as details are finalized.Online registration will be available at WisconsinAquaculture.com under“Online Registration” starting in September. Vendors and sponsors areencouraged to participate in the trade show and conference. Check theweb site later for updates on conference registration costs and supportlevels. For more information about this conference contact Cindy Johnson(814-515-2570/ cindy@WisconsinAquaculture.com) or the NCRAC office(515-294-5280/short@iastate.edu).

The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center has recently developed anew Vimeo channel for the dissemination of aquaculture research,education, and extension videos. The NCRAC Vimeo channel can beaccessed at https://vimeo.com/channels/958980/127639646 . Thenewest video editions are entitled “Feeding Yellow Perch Fry” and“Growing & Maintaining Natural Feeds for Yellow Perch Fry”. These videoswere made possible by funding through NCRAC grant #2012-38500-19550, USDA-NIFA. More information about this project andmany other aquaculture extension and research projects funded throughNCRAC can be accessed at NCRAC.org.

If you have any questions about NCRAC or want information onaquaculture please do not hesitate to call my office at 515-294-5280 oremail ncrac@iastate.edu . -Joe Morris, NCRAC Director

2016 NORTH CENTRAL AQUACULTURE CONFERENCEMarch 12-13, 2016

For more information contact Cindy Johnson (814-515-2570 / cindy@WisconsinAquaculture.com)or the NCRAC office (515-294-5280 / short@iastate.edu)

NCRACBy Joseph Morris

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BrownWater BasicsBy Amy Stinton

BrownWater technology also know as Biofloc Technologies (BFT) havecaught the interest of many farmers and researchers since itsconception in the 1970’s at the French Research Institute forexploration of the Sea, Oceanic Center of Pacific (Ifremer-COP). By the1980’s and into the 1990’s projects started springing up in Israel andthe USA (Waddell Maricuture Center) looking into BFT with tilapia andpacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei ) (Emerencianol et al. 2012).Today Brown water farms can be found across the globe (Asia, Latin,Central America, USA, South Korea, Brazil, Italy, China, andSwitzerland) as well as in our backyards. Locally, here in Indiana, wehave seen a growing number of marine shrimp farms in recent years.The Indiana Soybean Alliance’s has identified 10 marine shrimp farmsin Indiana and there are 3 more in the start-up phase.

The BasicsThe fundamental principle of brown water systems is thatheterotrophic bacteria removes ammonia nitrogen. The heterotrophicbacteria lives in suspension in the system and acts as an in tankbiological filter, consuming ammonia-nitrogen (NH4

+), carbon (sugar(C6H12O6)), alkalinity (bicarbonate (HCO3

-)), and oxygen (O2) andproducing bacterial tissue (C5H7O2N), water (H2O), and carbon dioxide(CO2). To take a deeper look at the process of ammonia removal we canlook at the chemical reaction of the process as described by equationE1 (Ebeling,et al., 2006).

NH4+ + C6H12O6 + HCO3

- + O2 -> C5H7O2N + H2O + CO2 (E1)

(ammonia) (carbon) (bicarbonate) (oxygen) (bacterial tissue) (water) (carbon dioxide)

AmmoniaNow let’s take a look at the left side of the equation. Your heterotrophicbacteria require ammonia-nitrogen, a carbon source, bicarbonate, andoxygen to survive and reproduce. The ammonia will enter your systemthrough the addition of feed. When your fish or shrimp consume thefeed they will excrete ammonia as a waste produce and the feed that isnot consumed will break down and release ammonia as well.

CarbonHeterotrophic bacteria also require carbon. There are two generalsources of carbon. One is by way of the carbohydrates in the feed. Thegeneral rule of thumb for carbohydrates in feed is that 50% of feed iscarbon (Avnimelech et al. 2015). The second source of carbon is thecarbohydrates you add to the system in addition to the feed. A fewexamples of carbon sources are sugar, starch, glycerin, cassava meal,and molasses.

AlkalinityAs the biomass of your system grows, alkalinity will be consumed.Alkalinity is defined as a measure of pH-buffering capacity of a system.Your range of desired alkalinity is dependent on the species you aregrowing but in general many producers maintain a neutral pH of 7 byadding a buffer such as sodium bicarbonate. When alkalinity isconsumed your pH will decrease and you will need to add carbonate(CO3

-) or bicarbonate (HCO3-) to slowly increase your alkalinity. A

common supplement used by the industry is sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3), commonly known as baking soda.

OxygenOxygen is the last of the consumables required for a brown water

system. It is important on multiple levels because it is required for boththe species you are producing and the heterotrophic bacteria. Whendesigning a brown water system, there are several factors to thinkabout when selecting how you will oxygenate your system. The optionsfor oxygen delivery are compressed air, pure oxygen, or both. Youroxygen delivery system requirements are dependent on your bio-plan.In the case of a low density brown system, compressed air can beadequate. In cases where density is intensive, oxygen can become alimiting factor and therefore pure oxygen is needed.

Now let’s look at the right side of the equation. Heterotrophic bacteriaproduce bacterial tissue (C5H7O2N), water (H2O), and carbon dioxide(CO2). As the heterotrophic bacteria feed on the nutrients in the system,they multiply and the amount of bacterial tissue increases. The othertwo bi-produces are water and carbon dioxide. Just a side note, carbondioxide accumulation can be a problem but in brown systemsaccumulation rarely reaches levels of concern.

Primary Environmental RequirementsHeterotrophic bacteria require more than adequate nutrients. Theyalso have environmental requirements. The three primaryenvironmental requirements are mixing, suspended particles, andsolids removal. Like the nutrients, we will tackle these principles one ata time.

MixingMixing is essential for the operation of a successful brown watersystem. Heterotrophic bacteria thrive in suspension. If there is notadequate mixing in your system the suspended particles will settle out.This can cause a thick layer or pockets of anaerobic sludge. Bydefinition sludge is the organically enriched soft black anaerobic layerthat develops on the bottom of ponds and tanks.

Anaerobic sludge can have negative effects on production. One adverseaffect is decreased feeding rates. Avnimelech and Zohar (1986) foundthat the accumulation of sludge coupled with anaerobic conditions wasa limiting factor in fish growth. Avnimelech also found that shrimpfeeding rates could be increased 136 +/- 11% by removing sludge(Avinmelech et al. 2015). Sludge can be particularly hazardous toshrimp because they live and feed on the bottom. In the case of shrimpproduction farms equate sludge with death. Another example of aproblem that can arise due to sludge is the disruption of thenitrification process. (We will cover the role of nitrification in theBiofloc Technologies system later.) The second stage of nitrification(NO2 � NO3) is extremely sensitive to anaerobic sludge. The result isthat nitrite cannot be efficiently converted to nitrate and it canaccumulate to hazardous levels. The bottom line of mixing is thatweather you are growing fish or shrimp, in ponds or indoors, you needto maximize mixing and minimize stagnant areas. This is an essentialpart of pond or tank management.

Suspended Particles

As mentioned before, heterotrophic bacteria thrive in suspension.What was not mentioned is that heterotrophic bacteria needssuspended particles. This brings us to the interesting topic of biofloc.Biofloc is not just heterotrophic bacteria or suspended organicmaterial, but it is complex community. Flocs can be made up ofbacteria, filamentous algae, fungi, protozoans, zooplankton, and deadbacteria. One can think of biofloc as a collection of different organismthat are stuck together. Biofloc is formed when dense masses ofmicrobes congregate and are bonded together. There a several ways

Tech Talk

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Tech Talkthat floc is bound. One way is by polymers excreted by and or coatingorganisms. These polymers are made of things like polysaccharides orproteins and act like glue. A second mechanism is attractive forces suchas molecular interactions and hydrogen bonds.

An interesting feature of biofloc is the structure. Structure is primarilydetermined by the mechanism that binds everything together. Whenscientists look at micrographs of biofloc they have observed an openstructure. This is important because the structure allows water andchemicals to flow through the floc providing it nutrients and wasteremoval. Highly porous floc has two notable advantages. One is thatwhen water moves through the porous structure it decreases thediffusion distance allowing the bacteria to be more efficient thanindividual cells. The second important feature is that the high porosityfloc makes the less dense that a floc that is not highly porous. When aflocs density is reduced to near the density of water, it can besuccessfully kept in suspension. (Avnimelech et al. 2015).

Solids RemovalThis brings us to the third environmental requirement, solids removal.As biofloc biomass increases, particles can become dense or overpopulated and settling will occur. By proactively removing portions ofyour biofloc you can prevent particles from settling out. There areseveral methods to remove excess biofloc. In cases where fish orshrimp are being cultured in outdoor ponds, the pond can beconstructed to have a gentle slope leading to a depressed drain. Thisfeature will allow for the farm staff to purge any solids that mayaccumulate during a production cycle by briefly opening the drain line.Another method, which is practiced in Indiana, is to incorporate a flocktank in the indoor production system. A floc tank is a tank muchsmaller than the culture tank that has low flow and no agitation so thatthe floc can settle out. There are several options in how the settled outfloc is then handled. Regardless of the equipment or method used,solids removal is important.

Solids removal and effluent treatment needs are dependent on facilitiessize, production densities, biomass, and feed loads. In the case of smallfacilities that culture organisms at low densities, or have relatively lowfeed loads, the mechanisms described above may be adequate. In thecase of large scale production, high production densities, or relativelyhigh biomass and feed loads, the need for solids removal and effluenttreatment will need to be scaled up. One type of technology that hasbeen looked at is a suspended-growth bioreactor. Researchers havecompared sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and membrane batchreactors (MBRs). In both bioreactors, there is a component that usessuspended microorganisms to remove waste products. In both casesresearchers observed removal rates of over 90% for ammonia, nitrite,nitrate, and suspended solids (Avnimelech et al. 2015).

In my experience, I have often heard people refer to systems asautotrophic or heterotrophic systems. I myself used to use the sameterms, but the more I work with brown water systems, the more I amconvinced that systems are not that simple. In Yoram Avinmelech’sbook, Biofloc Technology- A Practical Guidebook, he writes in bold, “incontrast with commonly used terminology, there are no“autotrophic” or “heterotrophic” ponds”. This is because you can notexclude one kind of bacteria or the other. They are opportunistic andwill exist were there are resource and conditions that facilitate growthand reproduction.

This brings us to two more important concepts that should not be leftout when think about brown water system; the role of nitrification and

the carbon nitrogen ratio. We will tackle Nitrification first.

NitrificationNitrification is the process in which autotrophic bacteria convertsammonia to nitrite and then nitrite to nitrate. This is the basis on whichthe biological filters in clear water systems work, but this process alsooccurs in brown water systems. This process is a little more complexthan the immobilization of nitrogen by heterotrophic bacteria becausethere are two steps instead of one and each step requires the presencesof different bacterial colonies. In the first step Nitrosomonas convertsammonia to nitrite as seen in equation 2 (E2). In the second stepNitrobacter convert nitrite to nitrate as seen in equation 3 (E3)(Ebeling,et al., 2006).

NH4+ + 1.5 O2 -> NO2

- + 2H+ + H20 (E2)(ammonia) (oxygen) (nitrite) (hydrogen) (water)

NO2- + 0.5 O2 -> NO3

- (E3(nitrite) (oxygen) (nitrate)

You see from equation E1 and E2 that both processes require ammoniaand oxygen. The advantage that the nitrifying bacteria have is thatammonia and oxygen is all that is required. This helps one understandwhy both types of bacteria can live within a system. The challenge forthe production manager is to provide the nutrients and theenvironmental requirements for the heterotrophic bacteria to thrive sothat the system can be pushed to be heterotrophic dominate.

You may ask, “why does it matter which bacteria is dominant in thesystem as long as both will remove ammonia nitrogen?”. To answerthat question, take a second look at equation 3. You see that the nitriteis converted to nitrate. Nitrate is not a concern at low dosage, but athigh concentrations for prolonged periods of time animals will becomestressed. Toxicity studies on pacific white shrimp reared at 23 pptsalinity show that prolonger exposure of greater that 300 mg/l resultsin decreased growth rates and low survival (Furtado et al. 2015). In asystem dominated by nitrification there will be accumulation of nitratein the system unless water is exchanged to flush the nitrates out. In azero exchange brown water system you cannot exchange water everytime your nitrates rise. This is why it is desirable to push the system tobe heterotrophic dominant.

In reviewing equation 1, we see that in addition to the ammonia andoxygen the nitrifying autotrophic bacteria need, the heterotrophicbacteria require carbon and bicarbonate.

NH4+ + C6H12O6 + HCO3

- + O2 -> C5H7O2N + H2O + CO2 (E1)

(ammonia) (carbon) (bicarbonate) (oxygen) (bacterial tissue) (water) (carbon dioxide)

In order to push a system to be heterotrophic dominant, you need to beproactive and provide the nutrients that the bacteria needs. This isdone by monitoring and adjusting the alkalinity and by feeding thesystem adequate carbon. This brings us to the carbon nitrogen ratio.

Carbon Nitrogen Ratio

When heterotrophic bacteria are fed carbohydrates (sugar, starch,cassava meal, molasses) with low levels of nitrogen, the bacteria will

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Tech Talk

Funded with Indiana soybean checkoff dollars. | © 2015 Indiana Soybean Alliance®

It’s time to stock those ponds and tanks—and you’re in luck. Right here in Indiana, we have everything you need, including koi, bluegill, smallmouth bass and much, much more. Plus, many local hatcheries include Indiana soybean meal in their rations, making our fi sh some of the fi nest available. Whether you’re stocking an outdoor pond or your fi sh tank at home, learn more about the benefi ts of Indiana-raised fi sh.

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take up the nitrogen from the water. By adding carbon according to theamount of nitrogen in the water, heterotrophic growth andreproduction will be encouraged. To calculate the theoretical carbonnitrogen ratio, there is some complex math involved. This is asimplification to provide you with a general guideline.

The carbon nitrogen ratio can be calculated to determine the amount ofcarbon and nitrogen. Then you can adjust the amount of carbon addedto get the desired carbon nitrogen ratio. See equations 4 through 7.

Carbon ( C )C= (Kg of feed + Kg of carbon added) X .50 = Kg of carbon available (E4)

Nitrogen ( N )Protein = Kg of feed X % crude protein in the feed (E5)N= Protein X 0.155 = Kg of nitrogen (E6)

Carbon Nitrogen Ratio

C/N = Kg of carbon / Kg of nitrogen (E7)ExampleThe farm manager fed 800 grams (.800 kg) of 35% protein shrimp feedand 200 grams (.200 kg) of sugar to his/her production tank.

C = (.800kg + .200kg) X .50 = .50 kg

Protein = .800 kg X .35 = .28 kgN = .28 kg X 0.155 = 0.0434C/N= .50/.0434 = 11.5

In this case the tank was feed a theoretical carbon nitrogen ratio of~11.5. Now what do you do with the carbon nitrogen ratio? Thisnumber is a reference point. In a trial done with shrimp, Avinmelechand Panjaitan (2006) added molasses to adjust the C/N ratio to levelsbetween 6.5 and 22.5 and then monitored the total ammonia nitrogenover 8 weeks. They found that tanks fed a C/N ration of 20 and 22.5had a total ammonia nitrogen concentration of practical zero and totalammonia nitrogen in tanks increased with decreased C/N ratios. It is agood rule of thumb to start with a carbon nitrogen ratio of 10 – 16,observe your water quality and adjust as needed.

This tech talk has just scratched the surface of the science behindbrown water systems. It is aimed to introduce you to the basics. This isa hard topic to cover in a short article. There is a wealth of information.If you are interested in learning more, I would suggest reading YoramAvnimelech’s book Biofloc Technology A Practical Guidebook. I wouldalso urge you to attend The 2016 Marine ShrimpWorkshop onFebruary 10 in Indianapolis. Dr. Samocha, formerly of Texas A&M, andDr. Andrew Ray from Kentucky State University will be speaking. Itshould be a great opportunity for us to learn more about brown watersystems. -Amy Stinton

Recommended Reading and Cited LiteratureAvinmelech, Y., Panjaitan, P. 2006. Effects of carbon: nitrogen rationcontrol on water quality and shrimp growth in zero water exchengemicrocosm. Abstacts. World Aquaculture, Firenze Italy.

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Tech TalkAvnimelech, Y. 2015. Biofloc Technology - A Practical Guide Book, 3rdEdition. The World Aquaculture Society, Baton Rouge, Louisiana,United States.

Avinmelech, Y., Zohar, G. 1986. The effect of local anaerobic conditionson growth retardation in aquaculture systems. Aquaculture 58: 167-174.

Ebeling, J.M., Timmons, M.B., Bisogni, J.J., 2006. Engineering analysis ofthe stoichiometry of photoautotrophic, autotrophic, and heterotrophiccontrol of ammonia-nitrogen in aquaculture production systems.Aquaculture 257:346-358.

Emerencianol, M., Cuzon, G., Goguenheim, J., Gaxiola3, G., AQUACOP2.2012. Floc contribution on spawning performance of blue shrimpLitopenaeus stylirostris. Aquaculture Research 44:75-85.

Emerenciano, M., Gaxiola, G. Cuzon, G., 2013 . Biofloc Technology (BFT):A Review for Aquaculture Application and Animal Food Industry. Chapter12.

Furtado, P.S., Campos, B.R. Serra, F.P., Klosterhoff, M., Romana, L.A.Wasielesky Jr. W. 2015. Effects of nitrate toxicity in the Pacific whiteshrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, reared with biofloc technology (BFT).Aquaculture International 23: 315-327.

Marine Shrimp WorkshopFebruary 10, 2016

Purdue University in conjunction with the Indiana Aquaculture Associationwill be offering a one day workshop on intensive rearing of marine shrimpto be held February 10, 2016 at the Indiana Soybean Alliance offices inIndianapolis, Indiana (8425 Keystone Crossing, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN46240) . The featured speakers for the workshop will include two of theleading authorities in the US, Dr.’s Tzachi Samocha, formerly of Texas A&MUniversity and Dr. Andrew Ray from Kentucky State University. Themeeting will be invaluable for anyone interested in starting a shrimpoperation as well as existing producers.

On line Pre-Registration is now open

http://www.indianaaquaculture.com

IAAI SPRING MEETINGFEBRUARY 13, 2016

Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Department 6843 North 400 E, Cortland, Indiana 47228

Speakers

Dr. Angela Caporelli, Roy Ballard, Kwamena Quagrainie, Robert Rode, Phil Shambach, and Mike Searcy

Farm Tour

White Creek Farms of Indiana is a Rainbow Trout Farm. Facility includes iron filtration for freshwater, trout egg

hatchery and nursery, custom growout tanks with liners, regenerative blowers, settling tanks, micro screen drum

filtration, and moving bed bio reactors for nitrification. Farm is 3 miles from Fire Dept.

Newbies Corner

DIY construction of a 60 and 110 gallon radial flow settling tank

Catered Lunch by Gail

Catering by Gail, Cortland Dinner to include Smoked Trout Cakes, Trout Almondine, vegetables, potatoes, rolls, pies, anddrinks.

For More Information

Call Glynn Barber @ 260.729.2080 or Karlanea Brown @ 765.583.0052 or visit www.indianaaquaculture.com

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