Resumen:
A sustainable aquaculture production involves alternatives, as recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), in order
to increase the water supply efficiency. This paper aims: a) to propose a method for dimensioning a RAS filled
and additionally supplied with water from a rainwater harvesting systems (RHS) and; b) to evaluate the efficiency
of the system based on the supply of rainwater from the RHS, the quality of water in the RAS, and the
development of aquatic organisms. A pilot aquaculture farm for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) production
was designed and dimensioned. On one hand, the RAS with a configuration based on a treatment tower
provided acceptable values of pH, TAN, and alkalinity. The temperature was slightly above the recommended
temperature but did not negatively impact trout development. On the other hand, the water use efficiency
reached 178 L/kg of fish, instead of 210,000 L/kg in an open flow system for trout rearing. The RHS fulfilled the
additional required water on the test period of the pilot farm and is expected to supply at least 92% on average
during the useful life. Regarding the aquatic organisms’ development, the system allowed both a better Length/
weight ratio and a lesser mortality rate compared to previous studies of RAS. In contrast to other studies in the
literature, the mathematical models for dimensioning the system were calculated as a function of the final
biomass expected in the tank instead of the quantity of supplied feed. Therefore, this method confirmed the
applicability of this alternative criterion for designing biofilters and aquaculture systems.