Effects of ammonia toxicity on growth performance, cortisol, glucose and hematological response of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Ammonia is a production limiting factor in the aquaculture media affecting fish production. A study was designed to scrutinize effects of ammonia on growth performance, survival, cortisol and hematological parameters of Tilapia fish. The study examined effects of 96 h-incubation of male and female Tilapia with 3 mg ammonium chloride per a liter of water compared to control. The study has been carried out in the physiology laboratory of the department of animal and fish production, Alexandria University. Fourteen aquaria were used (6 control and 8 ammoniated). Each aquarium contained 6 fish (half the population males and the other have females). Duration of the control reared fish was 30 days, however the duration for ammoniated group was 4 days. In all stressed fish, there found decreases in final body weight, average daily gain and specific growth rate as compared to controls. Hematological parameters revealed increases (P0.05) in total leukocyte counts in both males and females exposed to stressors. There were significant decreases (P0.05) in red blood cell, hematocrit value and hemoglobin concentration in both males and females. There were non-significant differences (P0.10) in these parameters between males and females. Exposing both male and female tilapia to ammonia, resulted in increases (P0.05) in mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) didn’t change in male tilapia, while females expressed increased MCH values in the ammonia condition. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) decreased (P0.05) under ammonia with no differences between males and females. Differential leukocyte count exhibited increases (P0.05) in neutrophils in ammonia-exposed males and females and decreases (P0.05) in eosinophils and monocytes in males, but not in females. However, lymphocytes decreased (P0.05) in both females and males exposed to ammonia. Cortisol level increased (P0.05) by about 2 folds in both sexes of fish exposed to ammonia (2.95 and 2.72 vs6.40 and 6.48 ng/ml in control males and females vs ammonia-exposed males and females).Rearing tilapia fish in media containing high level (3mg/l water) of ammonium chloride not only deteriorated growth rate but it also negatively affected the health wellbeing.

Impact of Total Ammonia on Growth, Physiological Status and Histological Examination of Red Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)

“…Higher mortalities detected in T5 could be attributed to the higher exposure dose of TAN. Fish exposed to lower doses (T1, T2 and T3), showed steady growth up to the end of the of exposure period without significant differences between them, similar results were obtained by Zeitoun et al (2016) who reported reduced values of weight gain, ADG and SGR of Nile tilapia in the presence of ammonia (3 mg ammonium chloride per liter). Increased ammonia reduced growth rate in tilapia Sakala and Musuka (2014); in common carp Kawamoto (1961) and in channel catfish Robinette (1976).…”

The Impact of Zeolite on Ammonia Toxicity, Growth Performance and Physiological Status of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromius niloticus)

“…Hematological parameters revealed increases (P<0.05) in both fish exposed to stressors. There were significant decreases (P<0.05) in red blood cell, hematocrit value and hemoglobin concentration in both males and females of Nile Tilapia after exposure to ammonia toxicity (Zeitoun, et al, 2016). Data given in the present study showed significant decrease in the red blood cell counts (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht) in the Nile tilapia exposed to the ammonia toxicity, the effects were dose-dependent.…”

“…Ammonia exists in two forms: ionized ammonia (NH4 + ) and unionized ammonia(NH 3 ), while both are commonly expressed as total ammonia. Remarkedly, even at low concentrations, ammonia possesses a toxic impact on fish, and hence, may cause serious problems in aquaculture production (Morrison and Piper, 1988). The probable effects of high concentration of ammonia on the fish species, reared in collapsible and concrete tanks, include damages to tissue, gill and kidney, as well as a reduction in growth (Rodrigues et al, 2013).…”

Effects of Colored Light on Growth and Nutritional Composition of Tilapia, and Biofloc as a Food Source

“…The pH value was not different between the R, G, and B groups, which could be because of a greater total amount of bacterial activity that is influenced by the use of artificial light compared to the Natural group. Using a C/N ratio of 20, the TAN concentration has a similar behavior value to pH and it was maintained at levels that are suitable for Nile tilapia, according to [39]. The NH 3 − N values did not exceed the levels that were considered lethal for Nile tilapia during the experiment, and this value remained below the recommended limit of 0.1 mg/L [40].…”