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FLOCponics is an alternative type of aquaponics that integrates biofloc technology (BFT) with soilless plant production. The aims of this paper are to present a detailed overview of the FLOCponics system's designs and performance, discuss their sustainability, highlight the current challenges, and give directions for future research. Data sources include papers containing the keywords bioflocs and hydroponics, aquaponics and/or plant production. In view of the small number of publications and the lack of standardization in experimental design and system setup, it was concluded that FLOCponics is still in its initial research stage. With respect to the animal and plant yields in FLOCponics, inconsistent results were found. Some investigations presented better or similar yield results in this system compared to traditional cultures, while others found the opposite. One of the key challenges of using FLOCponics is the effective control of solids. Refining the system's design was the main recommended improvement. Moreover, this paper highlights that the commercial application of FLOCponics will require extensive research that clarifies its technical and economic aspects, originating from experimental or pilot-scale setups with characteristics similar to commercial production. This review provides and discusses information that can be useful for the effective development of FLOCponics, guiding further research to make FLOCponics commercially feasible and thus contributing to sustainable aquaculture production.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:35:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-02-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) The periphyton-based system is a low-cost and sustainable strategy for small-scale producers who have limited technology and budgets. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different feed restriction levels (50% and 67%), using periphyton as a natural food source, on the growth performance of Nile tilapia reared under real culture conditions in cages placed in a farm dam. Three treatments were tested: F100—fish fed daily only on feed; F50—fish fed every other day, plus periphyton; and F33—fish fed every two days, plus periphyton. Considering the results of fish growth in F50 and F33 compared with F100 and the low amount of periphyton dry matter, it is reasonable to state that the fish under feed restriction did not take advantage of the periphyton due to its low availability. This low availability of the periphyton is possibly associated with the water N:P ratio and its variation over the experimental period. Therefore, periphyton-based systems are not indicated for conditions with a low N:P ratio or subject to great variations in this ratio. Aquaculture Center CAUNESP - São Paulo State University Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris) Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16 Agronomic Institute of Campinas IAC - APTA/SAA Fisheries Institute IP - APTA/SAA São José do Rio Preto Aquaculture Center CAUNESP - São Paulo State University CAPES: Finance Code 001

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:34:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-30 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Nutrient-rich effluents from aquaculture can be reused to enhance the development of natural food to feed fish in periphyton-based systems. A periphyton-based system is a strategy to increase fish farming efficiency, reducing feed use and effluent disposal. This study aimed to evaluate different types of feeding management in periphyton-based systems to produce Nile tilapia in ponds. To do this, two new production models were compared: (P100–0) Nile tilapia fed 100% of the recommended amount of feed sharing effluent with a tilapia production in a periphyton-based system with no feed input, and (P50–0) Nile tilapia fed 50% of feed plus periphyton sharing effluent with a tilapia production in a periphyton-based system with no feed input. Fish fed only feed showed higher growth performance than those fed partially feed plus periphyton. On the other hand, fish only periphyton-based fed grew similarly when using effluent from a system fed only feed and fed partially feed plus periphyton. Biomass gain and productivity were significantly higher in P100–0 than in P50–0, and no differences in the feed conversion ratio and survival were found. For both production models, fish feed fed and periphyton-based fed corresponded, respectively, to 75% and 25% of the total productivity of each production model. The tilapia growth performance indicates that the proposed production models are promising strategies for using natural food in a periphyton-based system and reusing effluents from monocultures, especially when inputting a high amount of nutrients as in P100–0. São Paulo State University (Unesp) Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris) Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16 Agronomic Institute of Campinas APTA/SAA, Votuporanga Fisheries Institute APTA/SAA, São José do Rio Preto São Paulo State University (Unesp) Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal CNPq: 140838/2018-0 FAPESP: 2016/07696-9 FAPESP: 2018/13235-0 FAPESP: 2018/20463-9

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different commercial diets on the common snook performance, organo-somatic indices and carcass and fillet yield. Two different commercial diets for carnivorous fish were compared in the grow-out stage of the fishes: Feed A (46.6% CP and 9.8% fat) and Feed B (60.6% CP and 13.3% fat). Common snook juveniles with initial body weight mean of 355.40 ± 52,30 g were stocked in three tanks of 200 L at 15 fish m-3 stocking density (5.33 ± 0.12 kg m-3), at salinity of 15 g L-1 with three replicates. The treatments were composed by two independent water recirculation systems. At the end of the experiment, there were significant differences in all performance parameters analyzed, except standard length, with better results for fish fed with Feed B. For this feed, the fish reached an average weight of 501.10 ± 64.10 g, providing twice the growth rate and better feed conversion (1.17 ± 0.13) but showed higher values of visceral fat and liver somatic index compared to Feed A. The carcass yield and fillet analyzed showed no significant differences between treatments. The results indicate that under these experimental conditions the feed containing 60.6% CP and 13.3 fat ensures better growth performance of common snook grown for 42 days in the grow-out phase. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes dietas comerciais no desempenho zootécnico, nos índices organossomáticos e no rendimento de carcaça e filé do robalo-flecha. Diferentes rações comerciais para peixes carnívoros foram comparadas: Ração A (46,6% PB e 9,8% EE) e Ração B (60,6% PB e 13,3% EE), na engorda do robalo-flecha. Foram estocados juvenis de robalo-flecha com peso inicial de 355,40 ± 52,30 g, à densidade de 15 peixes m-3 (5,33 ± 0,12 kg m-3), sob salinidade de 15 g L-1, em três tanques de 200 L com três réplicas. Os tratamentos foram compostos por dois sistemas de recirculação de água independentes. Ao final do experimento, observaram-se diferenças significativas em todos os parâmetros zootécnicos analisados, exceto comprimento padrão, com melhores resultados para peixes alimentados com a Ração B. Para essa ração, os peixes atingiram peso médio final de 501,10 ± 64,10 g, proporcionando o dobro de taxa de crescimento e melhor conversão alimentar aparente (1,17 ± 0,13), entretanto apresentaram maiores valores de gordura visceral e índice hepatossomático em relação à Ração A. Os rendimentos de carcaça e filé analisados não apresentaram diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos. Os resultados indicam que, nessas condições experimentais, a ração contendo 60,6% PB e 13,3% EE garante melhor desempenho zootécnico do robalo-flecha cultivado durante 42 dias na fase de engorda.

Tilapia and catfish are the most popular fish species in aquaponics. However, they are not well-accepted in all markets, and finding alternative species is important in order to increase the variety of food products and meet market demands. South America has several potential fish species for aquaponics systems. Encouraging the implementation of integrated aquaculture systems by providing information about the production of South American species can help to increase the supply of high-quality food and aquaculture diversification. Thus, data for five South American fish species with potential for aquaponics were compared with existing data for the main traditional warm water species in this system, tilapia and catfish. Moreover, the degree of suitability of the novel species for these systems in terms of zootechnical performance, tolerance to water quality and nutritional composition of fish flesh were discussed. The South American species considered were jundia or silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen), yellowtail lambari (Astyanax lacustris), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) and snook (Centropomus spp.). Their description and the tabular comparison with the most traditional aquaponic-cultured species show they are suited for this production system. How suitable they are will depend on the system design, as well as the regional characteristics of the market where they will be produced.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:30:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-10-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina The biofloc technology (BFT) is an intensive and sustainable production system, in which microorganisms can contribute to the maintenance of water quality and serve as a complementary food source for reared animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate three production strategies and whether the biofloc system enables the dietary reduction of crude protein (CP) levels for pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus). For this purpose, pacu juveniles were reared in three treatments: clear water with 27% CP (CW-27), biofloc with 27% CP (BFT-27), and biofloc with 22% CP (BFT-22). Growth performance parameters were assessed, as well as the physicochemical parameters and planktonic community of the water, in addition to the proximate composition of carcasses. Complementarily, the stomach content of fish submitted to fasting in different feeding periods was evaluated. As for the growth performance, all variables evaluated were higher in BFT-27 and BFT-22 compared to CW-27, with an exception of the specific growth rate. No significant differences were found between the diets offered in the BFT systems. Several microorganisms were found in the BFT system, which might be directly related to the higher growth performance of fish in comparison to CW. Even though pacu is not considered a species with filtering habits, its consumption of bioflocs was evident through the evaluation of the stomach content of fish during 48 h. This study demonstrated the technical viability of cultivating pacu in BFT systems, with a possible reduction of dietary protein from 27 to 22% CP, without affecting the growth performance of animals. Animal Science Postgraduate Program (PPGZOO/UDESC) Santa Catarina State University (UDESC) Aquaculture Center of Unesp (Caunesp) São Paulo State University (Unesp) Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris) Wageningen University Post-Graduate Program in Animal Science (PPGZ/UFSM) Santa Maria Federal University (UFSM) Fisheries Engineering Department (CERES) Santa Catarina State University (UDESC) UDESC Nutrition Laboratory of Aquatic Organisms (LANOA/UDESC) CSIRO Agriculture and Food Aquaculture Program Bribie Island Research Centre Aquaculture Center of Unesp (Caunesp) São Paulo State University (Unesp) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina: 2013TR3406 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina: 2015TR543

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:57:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-07-15 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) A study was conducted to evaluate the sensorial attributes and zootechnical performance of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) juveniles cultured in biofloc technology (BFT) with varying water salinities and proteinous feed. The experiment was conducted at two salinity levels viz., 5 ppt and 30 ppt each with two different proteinous feeds viz., 25% and 35% crude protein (CP), in a completely randomized factorial experimental design. Shrimp juveniles (average weight: 1.07 g) were stocked uniformly at the density of 233 shrimp m−3 in sixteen 60-L experimental tanks and reared for nine weeks. At the end of culture, all shrimps were harvested from the tanks and zootechnical parameters were recorded. The sensorial attributes viz., aroma, color, flavor, texture, and overall acceptance of shrimps reared in BFT under the tested treatments and in traditional earthen pond culture system were compared. In terms of zootechnical parameters, survival was similar among all treatments. The shrimp growth and productivity were significantly affected by either salinity and protein levels of feed. The same trend was observed for the feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio. The highest shrimp growth (final weight: 4.08 g) was achieved in 30 ppt water with 35% CP. The sensorial attributes of shrimp were similar in all experimental treatments including those reared in traditional earthen pond. The results suggested that 30 ppt of water salinity and 35% of dietary crude protein promoted superior shrimp performance as compared to 5 ppt and 25% CP. Additionally, the current study revealed that sensorial attributes of L. vannamei cultured in BFT did not change regardless of the salinity (5 ppt and 30 ppt) and/or the dietary crude protein (25% and 35% CP), and was comparable to those reared in traditional earthen ponds. Wageningen University Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris) São Paulo State University (Unesp) Aquaculture Center of Unesp (Caunesp) Santa Catarina State University (UDESC) Aquaculture Laboratory (LAQ/UDESC) and Nutrition Laboratory of Aquatic Organisms (LANOA/UDESC) São Paulo State University (Unesp) Aquaculture Center of Unesp (Caunesp) FAPESP: 2018/13235-0 FAPESP: 2019/21315-6

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T01:56:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-05-15 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) The objective of the present work was to investigate different dietary digestible protein (22%, 26% and 30% of DP) and digestible energy (3000, 3150 and 3300 kcal DE kg−1) levels on growth performance and hematological parameters of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) fingerlings (0.99 ± 0.1 g of mean initial weight) over 42 days. In addition, proximate analysis of carcass and biofloc biomass, as well as planktonic community characterization were performed. A factorial design (digestible protein and digestible energy as factors) was applied totaling nine treatments with four replicates each. The FCR (~1.17) and survival (>98%) were similar between all treatments (P > .05). When assessing the final weight of the fish, in terms of weight gain and specific growth rate, the 22% and 26% DP treatments were not affected by the energy level (P > .05); however, the 30% DP level were affected by energy levels (P < .05) with best results using 3150 kcal DE kg−1. In regard to somatic parameters, carcass yield and condition factor of the fish were similar between all treatments (P > .05). Standard length presented an interaction effect (P < .05); while total length and the hepatosomatic index were affected by protein levels. Hematological parameters showed variability according to different dietary protein levels while carcass proximate composition was affected by both protein and energy levels (P < .05). The monitoring of planktonic communitities indicated some variation over the duration of the experiment, specifically on the number of dinoflagellates, rotifers and protozoa groups. These results suggest that the optimal digestible protein and digestible energy levels for tilapia fingerlings raised in freshwater biofloc systems are 26% DP and 3000 kcal DE kg−1. Santa Catarina State University (UDESC) Animal Science Postgraduate Program (PPGZOO/UDESC) Santa Maria Federal University (UFSM) Animal Science and Biological Sciences Department, Palmeira Das Missões São Paulo State University (UNESP) Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP) Santa Catarina Federal University (UFSC) Aquatic Organisms Health Laboratory (AQUOS) Aquaculture Department UDESC Nutrition Laboratory of Aquatic Organisms (LANOA/UDESC) São Paulo State University (UNESP) Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP) CNPq: 310356/2017-2

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:32:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-11-01 Biofloc technology (BFT) has been called an environmentally friendly aquaculture approach. The sustainable characteristics of biofloc-based culture are usually linked to the efficient use of water and nutrients and the minimal discard of effluent to the environment. Given the scarcity of sustainability assessment of biofloc-based systems, it is still unclear whether the positive characteristics of BFT make it a real sustainable approach for aquaculture. This study aimed to investigate and apply the emergy synthesis to assess the sustainability of commercial Nile tilapia fingerlings production in a biofloc-based system. The tilapia fingerlings produced on the BFT farm showed a UEV of 2.04E + 03 sej/J, renewability of 32.73%, EYR of 1.00, EIR, and ELR of 2.05, and ESI of 0.49. Compared to other aquaculture systems, the evaluated BFT farm presented emergy indicators with values characteristic of potentially sustainable production. Electricity has the highest representativeness in the emergy input, making the system dependent on resources from the larger economy. The low UEV indicates that the BFT farm is efficient in terms of converting the invested emergy into the system's output (tilapia fingerlings). A sensitivity analysis shows that replacing the hydroelectric source of electricity with photovoltaic will not improve the emergy performance of the evaluated BFT farm. São Paulo State University (Unesp) Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris) Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16 Fisheries Institute APTA/SAA São José do Rio Preto São Paulo State University (Unesp) Aquaculture Center of Unesp, Jaboticabal

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:30:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-10-15 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Decoupled FLOCponics (DFP) is a promising aquaponics approach which takes advantage of the nutritional benefits of biofloc technology (BFT). Enabling the use of less protein in the fish diets is one of the benefits of BFT. The effect of the reduction of protein content, and consequently the input of nitrogen, on fish and plant production in DFP systems has not yet been investigated. This study was designed to investigate and evaluate the production of lettuce and tilapia juveniles in a DFP system using different levels of crude protein (CP) in the fish diets. The zootechnical performance of tilapia juveniles and lettuce growth in the DFP system were evaluated, using different diets containing 24, 28, 32, and 36% CP. Fish production in DFP systems was compared to those reared in traditional decoupled aquaponics systems (DAPS) and in biofloc-based systems (BFT), both fed with 32% CP diet. The experimental period of tilapia juvenile production lasted 56 days. Lettuce production in two cycles was also performed in DFP systems with different CP levels and their growth was compared to those in DAPS and hydroponics systems, as control treatments. In Cycle 1, the seedling phase was evaluated in a 14-day trial. In Cycle 2, the final production phase was performed for 21 days until harvest. The physical-chemical parameters of the water were monitored in the aquaculture and hydroponic subsystems. High mortality of fish occurred in DFP-36 in the middle of the experiment, thus this treatment was discontinued. The results showed that tilapia reared in DFP and fed with 24 and 28% CP (DFP-24 and DFP-28) grew similarly to those in DAPS fed with 32% CP diet. Fish in DFP-32 and BFT fed with 32% CP diet grew similarly and above the other treatments. Additionally, plant growth results showed no differences in both cycles among all treatments. With respect to water parameters, even though more nutrients were inputted in the treatments with high CP content in the aquaculture subsystem, the mean values of nitrogen compounds and orthophosphate were similar in all treatments. For water parameters in the hydroponics subsystems, only the mean values of pH in Cycle 1 were statistically different in the plant treatments. The results obtained in this study indicate that using less CP in fish diets to produce lettuce and tilapia juveniles is technically possible and feasible in a decoupled FLOCponics system. Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Centro de Aquicultura da Unesp Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris) Wageningen University, P.O. Box 16 Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Campus Jaboticabal Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Centro de Aquicultura da Unesp Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, s/n, Jaboticabal Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Campus Jaboticabal CNPq: #311108/2017 CAPES: 001 CNPq: 140838/2018-0 FAPESP: 2017/50431-9 FAPESP: 2018/13235-0 FAPESP: 2018/20463-9 FAPESP: 2019/21315-6 FAPESP: 2019/21703-6

Aquaponics production is emerging as an alternative for effluent treatment and aquaculture diversification. Also, aquaponics contributes to save water and for the maximum utilization of nutrients and culture areas. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effluent derived from biofloc technology (BFT) tilapia culture on the aquaponics production of three varieties of lettuce Lactuca sativa : red lettuce, butter lettuce, and crispy lettuce, using the clear-water recirculation system (CW) as a control. A total of six treatments were evaluated: BFT- RED; CW- RED; BFT- BUTTER; CW- BUTTER; BFT- CRISPY and CW-CRISPY, with three repetitions each during 21 days. Two systems were used, BFT and CW, each one containing respectively: a 500 L tilapia Oreochromis niloticus culture tank (∼70 g initial weight), clarifiers, biological filter and nine floating beds hydroponic units. Planktonic community profile was weekly measured in BFT. The results suggested that BFT achieved better plant growth regardless of the variety. In addition, at the end of experimental period, a plant quality index was analyzed and indicated that BFT provided superior plants. The plant productivity (kg m −2 ) of the varieties red, butter and crispy on the BFT system was respectively 0.56, 1.94 and 1.36 kg m −2 , while on the CW was 0.28, 1.53 and 1.04 kg m −2 . In addition, the butter variety showed the best performance in each analyzed variable, followed by the crispy and the red. The most abundant groups of planktonics organisms (decreasing order) were the filamentous cyanobacteria, ciliated protozoa, chlorophytes, diatoms, oligochaetes and ostracods. The results indicate that BFT presented as a viable alternative for the aquaponics production, especially for the butter variety.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T16:07:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-02-25 In face of all problems regarding to the traditional tilapia food sources and production systems the search for sustainable alternatives have been increasing. Within this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate different inclusion levels of pizzeria by-product meal (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%) in diets for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared in biofloc systems. Diets were prepared from a pre-existing commercial diet, milled and re-pelleted, containing different inclusion levels (considering 0% as the control group). A total of 288 tilapia juveniles were randomly stocked (2.90 ± 0.02 g) in 24,100-L experimental units (6 dietary treatments with 4 replicates). Water quality parameters and the planktonic community profile were monitored throughout the feeding trial (38 days). Zootechnical performance of fish fed the 20% pizzeria by-product feed was statistically equal (p > 0.05) to those fed the control feed. Feed conversion ratio was also similar (p > 0.05) between these treatments, as well as with the 40% inclusion group. During the experimental period, seven taxa of planktonic organisms were characterized in the bioflocs. According to economic analysis and performance data, it is possible to successfully include up to 20% of pizzeria by-product meal in diets for Nile tilapia reared in biofloc systems, and 40% inclusion of pizzeria by-product might exhibit a strategic economic benefit to the farms that also commercialize fingerlings. Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia (PPGZOO/UDESC) UDESC Departamento de Engenharia de Pesca e Ciências Biológicas Laboratório de Aquicultura (LAQ) Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) Pós-Graduação em Aquicultura Centro de Aquicultura da UNESP (CAUNESP) Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) Laboratorio de Nutrición y Fisiología Digestiva Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) Pós-Graduação em Aquicultura Centro de Aquicultura da UNESP (CAUNESP)

Fat snook Centropomus parallelus is one of marine finfish species with farm potential in Brazil, although some adjustments in farm practices are required to optimize its production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different stocking densities and vertical substrate addition on growth, survival and health status, such as hematological and parasitological aspects, in fat snook C. parallelus culture. The experiment was carried out evaluating 200, 350 and 500 fish m− 3 with (S) or without vertical substrate, totalizing 6 treatments as follows: 200-S, 200, 350-S, 350, 500-S and 500. Eighteen experimental units (20 L plastic bins) were settled-up in a recirculation aquaculture system. After 51 days, the results showed that the highest stocking densities (350 and 500) did not affect the final weight (~ 29 g) and survival (100%). Moreover, zootechnical performance was not influenced by the vertical substrate addition. Fish presented 100% prevalence of monogenean in all treatments, with a significant increase (p Statement of relevance This statement is mainly due to its application (vertical substrate) in commercial farms and its benefits observed in hematological and parasitological conditions of fish.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:22:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-11-10 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) The accelerated and disorderly expansion of aquaculture can lead to economic, social, and environmental problems. In this sense, it is necessary to prioritize the adoption of practices that aim for sustainable production. The aims of the present study were to identify the contributions from nature and economy in the system of tilapia cage farming. In addition, emergy accounting was utilized to evaluate whether the use of periphyton as a complementary food and the reduction of storage density improve the sustainability of this production system. Three different production managements were evaluated and compared: using traditional stocking density adopted by farmers (80 kg/m3) with 100% of the daily recommended feed and without substrates for periphyton (TRAD); traditional stocking density (80 kg/m3) with 50% of the daily recommended feed and with substrates for periphyton (TDS); lower density (40 kg/m3) with 50% of the daily recommended feed and with substrates for periphyton (LDS). We calculated using emergy accounting the transformity (Tr), renewability (%R), emergy yield ratio (EYR), emergy investment ratio (EIR), emergy loading ratio (ELR), emergy exchange ratio (EER), and emergy sustainability index (ESI) of the distinct production managements. The results showed that tilapia cage farming is highly dependent on resources from economy, and feed is mainly responsible for this. Thus, the decrease in stocking density and feed rate, combined with the use of periphyton, improved all emergy indices evaluated. This occurred because there was a decrease in the use of resources from economy and increase in the use of renewable natural resources. The study shows through the emergy accounting that the use of periphyton to feed cultured fish combined with a reduction in artificial feed use and a decrease in the stocking density should be encouraged to promote the sustainability on tilapia cage farming. Centro de Aquicultura da Unesp (CAUNESP) – Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’ Instituto de Pesca APTA/SAA Centro de Aquicultura da Unesp (CAUNESP) – Universidade Estadual Paulista ‘Júlio de Mesquita Filho’ FAPESP: 2013/18721-6 FAPESP: 2016/07696-9

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:15:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-02-01 Aquaponics is emerging as an alternative for high-health food production. Being able to identify the technical viability of non-conventional plants and fish species would help to increase the interest and possibilities in aquaponic systems. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the aquaponics production of two garnish species: scallion (S) and parsley (P), using effluents of pacu and red tilapia culture. Two aquaponics devices were used, differing according to the fish species, generating two different effluents. Thus, for plant performance, four treatments were evaluated in a factorial design (plant species and fish effluent as main factors), as followed: Pacu-S, Tilapia-S, Pacu-P, and Tilapia-P, with three replicates each, for 35 days. Fish performance was evaluated using Student’s t test. Each experimental device included a fish tank, filters, and six experimental units for the plants (floating rafts). Results indicated that feed conversion ratio (FCR) was higher in tilapia as compared to pacu (p 0.05), except for higher number of leaves per plant in scallion cultured using pacu effluent. Plant performance comparing both plant species indicated that scallion performed better as compared to parsley in all parameters. In addition, scallion also performed better related to the plant quality index. The results indicate that pacu presented a viable alternative for the aquaponics production, and regarding to the garnish, scallion performed better results as compared to parsley. Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) Centro de Aquicultura da UNESP (CAUNESP) Departamento de Engenharia de Pesca Laboratório de Aquicultura (LAQ) Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC) Department of Soil Water and Environmental Science University of Arizona Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia (PPGZOO/UDESC) Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) Centro de Aquicultura da UNESP (CAUNESP)