In the present study, the effect of the recirculation system on the productive performance and animal welfare of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was evaluated. 165 Nile tilapia juveniles with an average weight of 12.8 ± 0.25 g were used. The study was divided into two parts, the first one was a comparison of a flow through and recirculation system at equal densities of 10 fish/tank (T0 and T1 respectively). In the second part, the productive performance and animal welfare were evaluated in a recirculation system at different densities of 10, 15 and 20 fish/tank (T1, T2, T3, respectively). 350 liter tanks of useful volume were used. The results showed that the recirculation system did not affect zootechnical performance or animal welfare parameters (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, p> 0.05, respectively). However, T1 saved more than 95% of the volume of water consumed by T0 during the 35 days of study. T3 increased the final biomass by approximately 100% compared to T1 and approximately 20% with T2. T2 increased the final biomass by approximately 30% compared to T1. In conclusion, we can say that the recirculation system can be an alternative for fish production in areas with water limitations
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