ELLENTON, FL – As many of you know, in-pond raceway technology has been circulating around the aquaculture industry since at least the early 1980’s.
The basic concept employs a lined raceway or tank to concentrate a high volume of fish in a small area.
Water flow and in-tank nutrient removal through the system results in significantly higher yield and a much lower cost than typical pond culture.
My first exposure to this technology was a conversation with, and eventually supplying material to, Wayne Caillouet of Marion, AL back in the mid to late 80’s.
Not long after that, a group of farmers started using this technology in abandoned strip mines in southern Illinois.
A personal friend of mine, Dr. Mike Masser, started focusing on the floating pond raceway concept at Auburn University in the mid-1990’s.
Then came Dr. Dave Brune from Clemson with his work on a non-floating system.
Dr. Terry Hansen from Auburn worked with an aluminum variety – but that got to be a bit pricey.
Then Dr. Jesse Chappell and his colleagues created some concrete versions in 2009. They followed up with additional modifications to that system.
Dr. Jay Warecki has modified and improved earlier versions and currently offers tailor-made package systems through his company – called Superior Raceway systems.
The concept appears to make sense, as it seems to be affordable as well as practical.
These systems can be constructed as either floating or sit-on-bottom units – employing 1/8” thick HDPE liner material. Any size and shape can be assembled.
Frames are constructed of appropriate materials and the liner includes a chamber to culture zooplankton as well as an area for waste collection and denitrification…
…read the rest and much, much more in Issue 4, 2015 of Fish Farming News.
Purchase this issue to download access instructions so that you can read the online flip-book AND download a pdf copy for future reference.
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