Nitrite is both toxic and inevitably present in all closed aquaculture systems, so it’s essential for farmers to understand where it comes from and how it can be managed.
Most finfish and shrimp producers are continuously adding nitrogen to their ponds and tanks through regular feeding. A large proportion of these nitrogen inputs enters the water as waste in the form of ammonia. Ammonia, of course, is toxic to many aquatic species at low concentrations, but just how low depends to some extent on temperature, pH and the species being cultured. Ammonia is produced as a by-product of protein catabolism, so as a general rule higher protein levels in feeds usually result in higher ammonia production…