Using an Oxygenating and Degassing Column to Improve Water Quality in Salmonid Hatcheries

Abstract

Oxygenating and degassing columns, simple effective devices for economically adding oxygen to water, have been used successfully in aquaculture. Increasing the oxygen content of water enables fish culturists to increase fish loads and improve the rearing environment. Tests conducted in the present study were to evaluate the effectiveness of the column, injected pure oxygen or air into,at a rainbow trout hatchery. For this purpose, concentration of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in the column outflow were monitored. Although injecting pure oxygen increased the oxygen concentration and reduced the carbon dioxide, injecting air had a little effect on the carbon dioxide level. Notwithstanding, the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were not high enough to affect fish production, we recommended that users of the air injected column closely monitor the concentration of the gases to avoid from negative effects.