Dynamics of ammonia excretion in juvenile common tench, Tinca tinca (L.), during intensive rearing under controlled conditions

Abstract

This paper presents the first data on ammonia excretion by fed and starved juvenile common tench. The aim of the study was to determine the amount of ammonia excretion by juvenile common tench Tinca tinca (L.), fed with a commercial feed under intensive rearing conditions. Rearing was conducted for a period of 4 weeks at a water temperature of 27 °C. On the test day, the amounts of ammonia excreted by starved fish (over 12 h: control group) and fish fed with a morning feed dose (3 % of biomass: experimental group) were determined at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 h after feeding. Ammonia excretion measurements were taken in 7-day intervals. Despite the increased growth rate in successive weeks of experiment, the amount of ammonia excreted by the fish was always at a similar level within the control (maximum 0.26 mg g−1) and the experimental group (maximum 0.39 mg g−1). This paper presents for the first time reliable amount of ammonia excreted by fed and starved juvenile common tench. The obtained results may also increase the effectiveness of intensive rearing procedures (taking into account stocking density and feeding regime) and allow to design the most effective biofiltration capacity of recirculating aquaculture systems for the commercial production of this species.