The Effects of Supplementary LED

Lights on the Function of Biofloc

Systems and Growth of Tilapia
John Bailey O. Barksdale*, Andrew J. Ray, and Leo Fleckenstein
Aquaculture Division, Kentucky State University Land Grant Program
 Biofloc Systems
• Recirculating system
• Dense microbial community
– Maintains water quality
– Alternative feed source
– Improves fish health
• Properly managing the
microbe community is key
LED Lighting
• Energy efficient

• Little thermal output

• Cost effective

• Readily available

• Highly customizable light output

High-Tunnel Greenhouses
• Capture solar radiation and retain
it for growing crops.
• High-tunnel greenhouses are
simple and inexpensive
• Lengthened growing season
• Can we use High-tunnels to grow
tropical animals in Kentucky?
 Tilapia
• Oreochromis niloticus
• Tolerant tropical cichlid:
– Poor water quality
– High stocking density
– Omnivorous
• Rapid growth to
marketable size
High-Tunnel Fish Tanks
• Twelve custom-built tanks
from readily available
materials
• LED lighting was added to 6 of
the 12 tanks
– Lighting arrays consisted of 15
individual LED “bulbs”
– “Bulbs” contain 126 LEDs in
the red and blue spectrums
– The lights were on 24/7
 Methods
• Daily water parameters
– Water temperature, DO, pH
• Weekly water quality
– Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate
– Chlorophyll
– TSS/VSS and Turbidity
• Biweekly fish sampling
• Feed to satiation 3/day
Hurdles
 Water Quality
Ammonia
40

30
mg NH3-N/L

20

10

Excess Protein Foam July 1 to August 15

0
5/31/2016 6/30/2016 7/31/2016 8/31/2016 9/30/2016
NL EL
 Water Quality
Nitrite
30
(mg NO2-N/L

20

10 Excess Protein Foam Wk5 to Wk11

NL EL
0
 Water Quality
Nitrate
110

85
mg NO3-N/L

60 Excess Protein Foam Wk5 to Wk11

35

10

-15 Wk1 Wk3 Wk5 Wk7 Wk9 Wk11 Wk13 Wk15 Wk17 Wk19

NL EL
 Water Quality
Dissolved Oxygen AM Dissolved Oxygen PM
12 12

10 10

8 8
Dissolved Oxygen

6 6

4 4

2 2

Excess Protein Foam July 1 to August 15

0 0
1-Jun 1-Jul 1-Aug 1-Sep 1-Oct 1-Jun 1-Jul 1-Aug 1-Sep 1-Oct
NL EL NL EL

There were no significant differences between treatments when looking at dissolved oxygen (p-value= 0.99)
throughout the growing period.
 Water Quality
Chl-a
1000
Chlorophyll-α Concentration (µg/L)

800

600
Excess Protein Foam Wk5 to Wk11
400

200

NL EL

There was no significant difference between treatments when looking at Chlorophyll-α concentration (p-value= 0.971)
throughout the growing period.
Fish Harvest
• Harvested in mid-October
– ~140 day growing season
– Average harvest size 158.5
grams
• “Pan-sized” tilapia were
provided to vendors and
restaurants.
 Average Harvest Weight
High Tunnels Tilapia Growth (Grams) by Treatment
180
160
Average Weight (Grams)

140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
31-May 15-Jun 29-Jun 13-Jul 27-Jul 10-Aug 7-Sep 21-Sep 6-Oct Harvest
EL NL

No significant difference was measured between treatments (p-value= 0.967)

 Production Metrics

There was no significant difference between treatments with

FCR (p-value= 0.931) or SGR (p-value= 0.967).
 Questions?
• I would like to thank Dr. Ray, The KSU Aquaculture Production
Sciences Lab, and Kentucky State University for their help and support
during this project.