Ammonium production during decomposition of fish food pellets in sea water

Abstract

         Decomposition of organic nitrogen and production of ammonia from fish food pellets was observed over 26 days and described with kinetic first order model. The decomposition rate con­stant of organic nitrogen was 0.098 day^-1 and was not dependent on the quantity of food pellets. Initial concentration of organic nitrogen and the final concentration of total ammonia-N were pro­portional to pellet concentration.