Experimental facilities presentation given at the APEG conference 2010, held at Cefas.

1. An Introduction to the Cefas
Experimental Facility (EF)
Ian Tew
Aquatic Services Manager

2. APEG Tank Facilities
• World Class Tank and Aquarium facilities
• Biosecure facility with additional security containment for exotics
• Continuous flow (general) and batch treated (secure)ozone treated waste
streams
• Flow-through freshwater and seawater systems
• Computer controlled temperature 5 – 35°C ( 0.1°C)
• Bespoke partial or full recirculation systems if required
• Flexible computer controlled dimmable lighting to replicate any location in
the world (with dawn/dusk effects)
• 24-hour 7-day, 365 days callout (alarmed tanks and plant)
• Fully GLP compliant, member of the UK GLP compliance programme

3. Overview Plan
• Restricted Access
• Security
• Biosecurity
• 12 Tank rooms
• 2 Isolation Suites (exotics)
• Over 220 flow through GRP tanks
• 7 standard GRP tank volumes
(15,30,50,150,300,450, 900
litres)
• Numerous static and flow through
glass aquaria systems
• Sea and Freshwater supplies
• Temperature control & logging
• Programmable, dimmable
illumination
• Alarms
• Home Office Standards/Systems

4. Room layout and
tank map

5. Display last data every 12 hours beginning at 0:00 on 04/02/2000 and
ending at 0:00 on 19/04/2000.
Point: FISH_TANK_11_27 010011601027
16
15.5
15
14.5
14
13.5
13
04/02 00
07/02 12
11/02 00
14/02 12
18/02 00
21/02 12
25/02 00
28/02 12
03/03 00
06/03 12
10/03 00
13/03 12
17/03 00
20/03 12
24/03 00
27/03 12
31/03 00
03/04 12
07/04 00
10/04 12
14/04 00
17/04 12
Temperature control in a typical study tank - data
logging at 10 minute intervals

6. Tanks
• Insulated GRP tanks with lids
• Full height and half height capability
• 18 x 1000 litre
• 44 x 300 litre
• 30 x 50 litre
• 140 x 30 litre
• Each Tank:
– Flow through: 5-10 changes per day
– External standpipes
– Low pressure air for aeration.
– Dimmable fluorescent lights – Range from 0 – 400
lux at water surface (with lids on)
– Control photoperiod and dawn/dusk effects
– Temperature control to +/- 0.1oC
– Temperature logging via tank control system.
– Can be set to run on freshwater, seawater (35ppt)
or any intermediate salinities
• Water Flows:
– Fresh Water - Up to 350m3/day
– Sea Water - Up to 350m3/day
• Max Capacity: 660m3/day through ozone plant

7. 140 x 30 L
44 x 300 L
Standard tanks
available in three sizes.
Many other bespoke
combinations/
arrangements available
18 x 1000 L

9. Disease High Security Unit

10. Ozone Treatment of All Effluents

11. Effluent Treatment Main Sewer
Ozonated
Effluent
Secure Effluent
Up to 60m3/day Ozone
Plant
General Effluent
Up to
600m3/day

12. Wide Range of Test Species (not exhaustive)
Atlantic salmon Rainbow trout
Stickleback Cyprinids Amphibians
Sea bass Zebra danios
Shellfish Brown trout
Tilapia
Pacific white shrimp Gourami
Dover sole European Lobster Crayfish
In-house rearing of salmonids, sticklebacks, amphibians and
Zebra Danios in the Aquatic Production Unit (APU)

13. Some of the aquatic animals reared and used in studies

14. Summary
• Freshwater or Seawater systems with controlled
temperature, flows and lighting
• A range of small or large flow-through or re-
circulation test systems
• Experience of a wide and growing list of species
• In house rearing of salmonids, sticklebacks, native
amphibians, zebra danios and Pacific white shrimp
• We can design and build systems to meet your
specific requirements
• Flexibility, reliability, experience and dedication