AQUACULTURE

FLOW-THROUGH AND
RACEWAY
DEFINITION
Raceway Aquaculture systems are based upon
a continuous water flowing through culture
tanks or systems and generally used where a
constant water source is available from either
river estuaries, the ocean, or rivers and lakes.
Raceways used for aquaculture are rectangular
shaped tanks, chutes or earthen structures with
a continuous source of flow-through water
introduced at one of the short sides and exiting
at the opposite end.

FLOW-THROUGH AND
RACEWAY
DEFINITION
A raceway, also known as a flow-through
system, is an artificial channel used in
aquaculture to culture aquatic organisms.

FLOW-THROUGH AND
RACEWAY
COMMON FISH CULTURED
common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in INDONESIA
IN FRESH WATER
Trout in KOREA
Catfish
Tilapia

DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
WATER SUPPLY
Conventional Flow-Through Systems- In a
conventional flow-through system the oxygen
requirement of the fish is supplied by the inflow
water. The water flow rate that is needed for
proper oxygen supply of the fish usually is
larger than is required for flushing the
metabolic wastes. Thus, in a conventional flowthrough system the water flow rate should be
calculated on the basis of the oxygen
requirement of the fish.

DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
WATER SUPPLY
Intensive Flow-Through Systems- intensive
flow-through systems have been designed in
order to increase the stocking density or to
decrease the water flow. In these systems the
oxygen requirement of the fish is met by
oxygenation of the inflow water. When the
water flow rate of an intensive flow-through
system is calculated, the flow rate that is
needed for the flushing of the metabolic wastes
becomes the critical factor.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Rectangular-shaped pond
One of the types which is being used by the
Indonesian fish farmers is rectangular-shaped
pond. The size of the pond depends on the area
available but usually its dimensions varies between
2 to 4 meters wide and 5 to 15 meters long and
with average depth of 1.5 meters.
The bottom of the pond must be more elevated
than the water inlet and outlet or monk. The depth
varies between 1 to 1.5 meters at the water inlet
and 1.5 to 1.8 meters at the water outlet or about
0.3 to 0.5 meters elevation difference.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Layout of rectangular-shaped units of running water ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Rectangular pond for running water carp culture in West Java, Indonesia with
installed demand feeders

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Construction of rectangular-shaped ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Triangular-shaped pond

Other type of triangular-shaped pond practiced in West Java, Indonesia for

carp culture

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Layout of triangular-shaped running water ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Construction of triangular-shaped ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Raceway-shaped pond
In general raceway-shaped pond are the same as
rectangular-shaped ones, but the principal
difference is that the width of the inlet and outlet is
the same as the width of the pond in the raceway
type. Water will freely flow through the pond. In
one area several ponds may be constructed in
parallel system
The size of the pond depends on area available
but these are usually around 2 to 4 meters in width
by 5 to 15 meters in length with 1.0 to 1.5 meters
water depth.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Layout of raceway-shaped running water ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Raceway-shaped ponds for carp culture used in Majalaya, Indonesia

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Raceway pond culture constructed along irrigation canal by damming with

concrete dike and installing screen as well as demand feeder as practiced in
Sukabumi, Indonesia

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Another type of raceway type ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Oval-shaped pond
The size of this type of pond depends on the area
and water flow available. It is important to have
relatively rapid water flow. Concrete pond should
be used to prevent erosion. Generally, the size of
the pond should vary from 10 to 100 square
meters measuring 25 meters in width and 5 to 10
meters in length. It is suggested that the ratio of
width to length is one to two. Water depth should
be between 1 to 2 meters and the pond bottom
must be sloped from inlet to outlet so the pond can
be totally drained when needed.

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Layout of oval-shaped ponds

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Carp culture in running water with oval-shaped ponds with fencing of wire to
prevent of poaching as practiced in Sukabumi, Indonesia

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Polyethelene drum as running water culture
tank
Minimal volume of drum used is 100 liters. The
inlet of the drum can be made from PVC pipe of 1
inch diameter while the outlet can be made of two
PVC pipes, one with one inch diameter and the
other a larger pipe (2 inch diameter). The smaller
inside pipe with 1-inch diameter is used as the
outlet and to adjust the water level in the drum
and the outer larger pipe is used as outflow
adjustment from the bottom so that the bottom of
the outer pipe must have perforations

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Carp culture in polyethelene drums or plastic drums as practiced in Sukabumi,

Indonesia

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Layout of fish culture using polyethelene drum method

Simple method of fish culture in polyethelene drum system

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species
Two different types raceway:
Raceway pond
The raceways for fry production have a culture depth
of 30cm with a bottom slope of 1/100 or more, while
those for production of marketable trout have a
depth of 60cm with a similar bottom slope. The
raceways for brood stocks is about 90cm in depth.
The outlets of the raceways are screened to avoid of
trout escape. The screen with larger mesh sizes are
preferred within the size permits. The widths of the
raceways are 1.5m for fry and 3m or less for growing
trouts. The lengths of the raceway are 10 to 30m.

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species

Theracewaypondssettogetherforthetroutculture

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species
Two different types raceway:
Concrete silo
The concrete silos used for trout vary from 2 to 10 m
in diameter, depending on the trout sizes cultured.
The concrete silos are constructed with bottom slopes
of 510% to remove solid waste before water is
discharged. The water from inlets is designed to be a
driving force to circulate the water in the silo, allowing
the solid wastes removed through the outlet located
in the center of the silo. The silos for seed production
of trouts are small-sized (less than 1m in diameter)
are often of FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastics).

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species

Theconcretesilosnormallyusedfortheseedproduction/frycultureoftrouts

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species
System operation for trout aquaculture
(1) Aerations
In any case water qualities are never better
than those of the incoming water, but dissolved
oxygen may be increased by aeration using
some aerating machines, including pumps,
agitators, and blowers).

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species

Aerationbypumpingoftheculturewater
inthetroutraceways

Aerationbywateragitatorsinthetrout
raceways.

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species
(2) Removal of solid waste matters
Accumulation of waste matters in the raceway bottom
spoils water quality, therefore successful removal of
the waster matters is essential. Removal of the waste
matters is achieved by sucking the matters directly
with the aid of pumping machine or it can be
performed by increasing water flow in the raceways.
Normally, water velocities over 78cm/sec are found
to be effective for the waste removal in our system.
Lowered water level down to 30 cm in depth makes
the removal more effective. The waste matters
accumulated in the raceway bottom should be
pumped out.

(3) Productivity
Productivity of fish is strongly related with
exchanging rate of the culture water. For rainbow
trout, it amounts 1 /year under water flowing rate
of 1/min. However, the productivity increases up to
5kg/year under same water flowing rate in case that
best management is offered.
(4) Waste water treatment
Waste water treatment is one of the crucial factors in
the raceway operation. Because only 2030% of
total phosphorus supplied to the culture system are
absorbed by the culture fish, appropriate treatment
of the waste water is required. Bad treatment of the
waste water often results in outbreaks of red tide in
the reservoirs or rivers, causing a significant social
problems.

Raceway culture for

Freshwater Species

Aerationbycompressorsinthetrout
aquacultureraceways.

Racewaybottomsareregularlycleanedby
totalwaterdrainage.

REFERENCES

http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5744e/x5744e0e.
htm
http://www.extension.org/pages/58770/racew
ays#.VIU0Q2eTJ3s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raceway_
%28aquaculture%29
http://www.coloriteaerationtubing.com/aquacu
lt_pages/aquaculture_raceways.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/ac415e/A
C415E00.HTM

REFERENCES

http://barrablue.com/supportservices/detail/raceway-flow-thru-systems58.html
http://www.lib.noaa.gov/retiredsites/korea/kore
an_aquaculture/raceway.htm
http://www.paddlefishfarming.com/inpondracewaysystem.html
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Plywood_A
quaculture_Tank
http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/ac415e/AC
415E00.HTM