Each and every farmer in aquaculture knows about ammonia. So let us understand What Is Ammonia? What All Factors Lead To Formation Of Ammonia? How Does It Effect The Fish? LASTLY, Steps To Be Taken For Elimination Of Ammonia? ALSO, Advantage Of Treating Ammonia In RAS SYSTEM.
Ammonia is a colourless compound, which is composed of nitrogen and hydrogen with a strong pungent smell in its natural form.
Formation of ammonia in aquaculture :
Ammonia is the major end product in breakdown of proteins in fish. Fish digests the protein in the feed given to them and in return the fish excrete ammonia through their gills. Some other factors leading to formation of ammonia are:
1. Depend on the amount of feed
2. Bacterial decomposition of uneaten feed
3. Algae formation is also a major cause of formation of ammonia, but is not applicable in RAS SYSTEM as there is no direct exposure to sunlight
RAS SYSTEM has been designed to overcome the concerns of stocking limits and pollution as compared to the traditional methods. RAS Bio-Filter act to remove the nitrogenous waste byproducts. Also, ammonia is one of the major reasons of concern to fresh water aquaculture farmers.
Effect of ammonia on fish :
When not treated properly, ammonia can cause effects like:
1. Reduced growth
2. Poor feed conversion
3. Less disease resistant
If the ammonia levels get high enough, it would lead in making the fish lethargic and eventually the fish will fall into coma and die.
Elimination of ammonia :
With the advancements, RAS SYSTEMS have enabled the recycling of the cultured water. This eliminates the need for water replacement. The treatment equipment that removes ammonia in RAS is known as Bio-Filter. The Bio-Filter uses microbes to clean the excess ammonia in water.
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