Research Respirometry System
Alpha Respirometry System
Fully customizable swim tunnel and respirometry platform — built around your animals and protocol.
Our no-limits respirometry platform. Dimensions, flow, rapid thermal cycling, multi-chamber layouts and sensing are all engineered to your protocol, and Aquafab Control automates the full measure–flush–repeat cycle from a professional operator console.
Designed, fabricated and tested in Cincinnati, Ohio
Runs on Aquafab Workbench — programming, calibration and data logging built in
Lifetime technical support, plus optional installation and training
System builder
Configure your system
Size the system to your animals, choose flow and thermal capability, then add logging, sensors and lighting. Every Alpha configuration is reviewed by an engineer before quoting.
The Alpha Respirometry System is our fully customizable respirometry platform — every dimension, flow range, thermal capability and sensor is engineered around your animals and protocol. It runs automated intermittent-flow respirometry: measuring oxygen consumption during sealed measurement periods, then automatically replenishing the chamber with oxygen-saturated water between cycles, so you can collect repeated, high-quality metabolic measurements over trials that run for hours or days.
One system, fully integrated
Flushing, temperature and flow are controlled together by Aquafab Workbench from a professional operator console. Program water velocity, temperature and temperature changes over time to reproduce real-world conditions in the lab — tidal thermal swings, mixing currents, thermoclines — and let the system run the protocol exactly as written. Guided calibration wizards set up flow, temperature and flush volumes, and the system monitors its own performance to flag components that need service.
Research applications
- Metabolic cost of swimming, critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and full fatigue studies
- Standard and maximum metabolic rate, aerobic scope
- Climate-change physiology: warming, hypoxia and acidification
- Intertidal and thermal-tolerance studies
- Organism health and performance in aquaculture
Proven at College of the Holy Cross
Developed for the Nishizaki Lab, a custom Alpha system provides tidal thermal regulation from 0 to 50 °C with rapid changes up to 5 °C/min, a dedicated temperature-controlled flushing reservoir, and integrated valve and pump control — a complete package with no external add-ons required.
Built to your animals
Alpha systems are built from 2 in to more than 72 in long with cross-sections up to 36 × 36 in, in freshwater, saltwater or brackish configurations, as single or multi-chamber layouts. Choose flow capability up to 500 cm/s, velocity logging from turbine sensors to ADV, thermal control, corrosion package, water-quality sensors and lighting.
Looking for a fixed size? The Standard Respirometry System comes in nine volumes from 0.5 L to 100 L.
| Geometry | |
| Length | Customizable, 2 in to 72+ in |
| Cross-section | Up to 36 × 36 in |
| Viewing section | High-transparency acrylic |
| Stand | Powder-coated steel or aluminum |
| Respirometry | |
| Method | Automated intermittent-flow |
| Flushing | Automatic replenishment with oxygen-saturated water between measurement periods |
| Flush reservoir | Temperature-controlled (reference build) |
| Calibration | Built-in PID calibration wizards for flow, temperature and flush volume |
| Flow | |
| Basic | 0–30 cm/s |
| Intermediate | 0–150 cm/s |
| Advanced | 0–500 cm/s (larger systems may max out near 300 cm/s) |
| Flow conditioning | Honeycomb straighteners |
| Environment | |
| Water | Freshwater, saltwater or brackish |
| Thermal | 0–50 °C; rapid cycling up to 5 °C/min |
| Wetted hardware | 316 stainless standard; full titanium optional |
Specifications describe standard builds. Every Aquafab system can be adapted — ask us about dimensions, materials or performance outside these ranges.
| Option | Choice | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Flow rate | Basic 0–30 cm/s | A strong, steady flow for most resting and routine metabolic work. |
| Intermediate 0–150 cm/s | Higher-flow applications with the same low-end control. | |
| Advanced 0–500 cm/s | Our most powerful configuration — up to 5 m/s depending on chamber size. | |
| Water type | Freshwater | |
| Saltwater | ||
| Brackish | ||
| Velocity logging | None | |
| Basic | Turbine/paddlewheel sensors for entry-level flow data. | |
| Intermediate | Non-invasive ultrasonic flow sensing. | |
| Advanced | Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry for research-grade 3D flow analysis. | |
| Thermal control | Basic | 0–50 °C with a stable set-point and monitoring. |
| Advanced | Rapid cycling at up to 5 °C/min for tidal shifts, mixing currents and thermal stress. | |
| Corrosion package | Standard | 316 stainless steel for freshwater and low-salinity work. |
| Advanced | Full titanium for harsh marine conditions. | |
| Water-quality sensors | None | |
| Basic | pH, temperature and salinity. | |
| Advanced | pH, temperature, DO, ORP, turbidity and conductivity with automated logging and remote alerts. | |
| Custom | Pick individual sensors from the full list. | |
| Choose your sensors | Dissolved oxygen | Optical DO for respirometry and hypoxia work. |
| Temperature | ||
| pH | ||
| Conductivity / salinity | ||
| ORP | Oxidation-reduction potential. | |
| Turbidity | ||
| Ammonia | NH₃/NH₄⁺ monitoring for husbandry. | |
| Nitrate | ||
| Chlorophyll-a / fluorescence | Algal and phytoplankton studies. | |
| Light (PAR) | Photosynthetically active radiation. | |
| Pressure / depth | Water level and depth logging. | |
| Flow velocity | In-line or in-channel velocity sensing. | |
| Other — tell us in the notes | ||
| Lighting | None | |
| Freshwater | ||
| Plants + Algae | ||
| Coral + Reef | ||
| Services | Installation & commissioning | |
| On-site training | ||
| Extended warranty |
- Swimming energetics and critical swimming speed
- Standard and maximum metabolic rate and aerobic scope
- Thermal tolerance and intertidal physiology
- Hypoxia and ocean-acidification studies
- Aquaculture health and performance
Every Aquafab system is backed by the people who designed and built it.
- Warranty: standard systems include a 2-year warranty on Aquafab-fabricated components and electronics.
- Lifetime support: phone, email and remote support for as long as you own the system.
- Installation & training: optional on-site installation, commissioning and hands-on training for your lab or teaching staff.
- Maintenance: on-site maintenance visits and replacement parts on request.
Questions?
Talk it through with an engineer.
Not sure which options fit your protocol? We're happy to help you specify the right system — no obligation.