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10URNAL OF APPLIED AQUACULTURE <br />ozonation (fluidized bed). Carrying capacity was defined as the <br />greatest fish biomass that could be supported by each biofilter with- <br />out the development of total ammonia-nitrogen concentrations that <br />averaged > 2.0 mg/l. Fish were taken from a holding tank receiving <br />a continual flow of fresh water and gradually added to each biofil- <br />tration system over atwo- to four-week period until the carrying <br />capacity was attained. The carrying capacity biomasses were then <br />maintained for at least two more weeks. <br />The fish used to load the biofiltration systems were common <br />carp, Cyp~inus carpio, weighing 200-800 g. They were fed a com- <br />mercial floating pelleted trout diet containing no less than 37.5% <br />protein once daily while in the holding tank and in the experimental <br />biofiltration systems. Because the intent was to assess biofilter per- <br />formance rather than the performance of the cultured organisms, <br />fish growth rates were not measured during these studies, and feed- <br />ing rates were maintained at a constant level equal to 1% of the <br />body weight at initial stocking per day. The fish appeared healthy <br />throughout these experiments, consumed all food offered to them, <br />and suffered no mortalities. <br />Water quality was measured at the entrance and exit points of the <br />biofilters at one- to six-day intervals during all studies. Water qual- <br />ity was also measured less frequently (one- to two-week intervals) <br />at other points in the biofiltration systems (fish tank, sedimentation <br />tank influent and effluent, mixing column influent and effluent, and <br />physical filter effluent). Total ammonia-nitrogen concentrations <br />were measured with an ion-specific electrode. Other water quality <br />variables measured during this study include: dissolved oxygen <br />concentration (polarograph); pH (pH meter};nitrite-nitrogen and ni- <br />trate-nitrogen (Hach Company kits, Loveland, Colorado); turbidity <br />(turbidimeter); ozone concentrations in the feed gas entering the <br />mixing columns (iodometric titration, APHA et al. (1976)); residual <br />ozone (ozone remaining in the water after treatment; amperometric <br />titration, ICinman (1975)}; temperature. Ammonia concentrations <br />and other water quality variables were usually measured 19-23 hours <br />after the daily feeding. <br />The ammonia removal rate of each experimental biofilter was <br />calculated by multiplying the difference between the biofilter influ- <br />ent and biofilter effluent ammonia concentrations times the water <br />