Effect of Elevated Ionized Ammonium (NH4+) Concentrations on Growth Performance and Mortality of Burbot (Lota lota L.), Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2019

T. Abeel, D. Vuylsteke, W. Meeus, H. Arnouts, D. Delbare and S. Aerts

Poster presentation at the 18th International Conference Life Sciences for Sustainable Development, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Recently, burbot has been introduced as a new aquaculture species in Belgium for both flow-through and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). While this fish species can be successfully cultured in RAS, the impact of long-term exposure to high concentrations of NH4+ on burbot performance is unknown. The effects of toxic un-ionized ammonia (NH3) are well-studied for several aquaculture species, but there appears to be no literature on the chronic effects of elevated ionized NH4+ concentrations. For commercial farms, it is crucial to identify the maximum tolerable NH4+ concentration, in order to adequately dimension the biofilter capacity.

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