Performance of plastic biofilter media with different configuration in a water recirculation system for the culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Three kinds of locally available plastic biofilter media with different configurations (plastic rolls, PVC pipes and scrub pads) were evaluated for their efficiency in organic waste removal from the effluents of an intensive recirculating tilapia culture system. A set of three types of solid-removing filters consisting of screened sedimentation; upflow sand as well as plastic bead filtration accomplished the mechanical filtration. Values of critical metabolic wastes like total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) (0.92 ppm) and nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂-N) (0.22 ppm) were found to be well within the acceptable limits, while other water quality parameters in the culture water were also maintained within the normal range by the filtration system. Removal rates of 3.46 g TAN/m³ per day and 0.77 g NO₂-N/m³ per day, as well as TAN and NO₂-N removal efficiencies of 29.37 and 27.3% respectively, were established to be the best for the plastic-roll biofilter medium as compared to PVC-pipe and scrub-pad media. Percent removal of TAN and NO₂-N per pass of the biofilter (25.49 and 26.3% respectively) and the specific TAN and NO₂-N removal rates (43 and 9.6 mg/m² per day) of plastic rolls were also found to be superior to the other two biofilter media. Pieces of PVC pipes as biofilter medium is recommended to be used in the biofilters in view of their cheaper cost.     

Water quality control using Spirulina platensis in shrimp culture tanks

A cyanobacterium (Spirulina platensis) was co-cultured with black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) for water quality control. We evaluated the effects of: (1) three S. platensis trial conditions on inorganic nitrogen concentrations at one shrimp density (S. platensis trial conditions included: absent, nonharvested and semicontinuous harvesting) and (2) two shrimp densities on inorganic nitrogen concentrations, with and without S. platensis. Semicontinuous harvesting of S. platensis at one shrimp density resulted in significantly reduced (P<0.05) inorganic nitrogen concentrations (NH₄, NO₂ and NO₃). With S. platensis absent, ammonium and nitrite concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 0.6 mg l⁻¹, while nitrate concentrations ranged from 16 to 18 mg l⁻¹ by day 44. With nonharvested S. platensis, considerable variability occurred with nitrogen concentrations. Semicontinuous harvest of S. platensis reduced nitrate to 4 mg l⁻¹, while ammonium and nitrite ranged from 0.0 to 0.15 mg l⁻¹, respectively. The factorial evaluation of shrimp density versus presence and absence of S. platensis resulted in greatly reduced nitrogenous compounds with S. platensis present regardless of shrimp density, and only moderately increased nitrogen with greater shrimp density. Without S. platensis, all nitrogen compounds were substantially elevated and shrimp survived was significantly reduced at high shrimp density.     

Degradation of urea,ammonia and nitrite in moving bed biofilters operated at different feed loadings

This study investigated how removal rates of urea, ammonia, and nitrite in laboratory scale moving bed biofilters were affected by long-term feed loading. To generate different loadings, five identical freshwater flow-through systems (100 l/h) with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed increasing fixed rations of a commercial diet. The filtered effluent from each system was lead through a moving bed biofilter installed end-of-pipe. After an acclimatization period of four months, the moving bed biofilters were spiked separately with urea, ammonia and nitrite in batch mode in three successive trials to investigate degradation kinetics. Results showed that urea, in addition to ammonia and nitrite, was degraded although the substrate limited/dependent removal rate of urea (first order kinetic) was lower than that of ammonia and nitrite. Degradation of urea could be described as first order kinetics below 2.5 mg N/l. Degradation of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and nitrite was substrate independent (zero order kinetic) above 2 mg N/l and subsequently substrate dependent as substrate concentrations in the bulk water declined. The transition zone from zero to first order degradation was elevated with increase in long-term biofilter loading. For ammonia and nitrite, a significant increase in the zero order removal rate constants related to long-term loading were observed up to a long-term feed loading of 207 g/d, corresponding to 69 g feed/m² filter media/d and an TAN + urea-N concentration of 2.70 mg N/l. Long-term feed loading had no obvious effect on first order removal rate constants of any of the three nitrogenous compounds. Degradation of urea resulted in generation of ammonia demonstrating that urea degradation contributes to the ongoing nitrification activity in aquaculture biofilters. For all three types of spiking (urea, ammonia and nitrite) accumulation of nitrate was observed in the moving bed biofilters, sustaining that nitrification had occurred.     

Using a macroalgae Ulva pertusa biofilter in a recirculating system for production of juvenile sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

A simple indoor recirculating system for production of juvenile sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) was operated on a commercial scale for 90 days during winter. The system consists of three 70 m³ sea cucumber rearing tanks and one biofilter tank where macroalgae (Ulva pertusa) was used as a biofilter in order to reduce water requirements. Effluent from the sea cucumber tanks drained into the macroalgae biofilter tank and were then returned to the sea cucumber tanks by a discontinuous-flow recirculation system. Survival and growth rates in the sea cucumber culture tanks were similar to those in the control tank (with one water exchange per day). The survival rate averaged about 87%. The average body weight increased from 3.5 ± 0.3 g to 8.1 ± 0.8 g and total sea cucumber biomass production over the experimental period was 745 g m⁻² after initial stocking densities of 375 g m⁻². The growth rate of U. pertusa was 3.3% day⁻¹. U. pertusa was efficient in removing toxic ammonia and in maintaining the water quality within acceptable levels for sea cucumber culture; there were only small daily variations of temperature, pH and DO. The U. pertusa tank removed 68% of the TAN (total ammonia-nitrogen) and 26% of the orthophosphate from the sea cucumber culture effluent; the macroalgae biofilter removed ammonia at an average rate of 0.459 g N m⁻² day⁻¹. It would be efficient to use the U. pertusa biofilter in a recirculating system for production of A. japonicus juveniles in winter.     

Evaluation of three types of structured floating plastic media in moving bed biofilters for total ammonia nitrogen removal in a low salinity hatchery recirculating aquaculture system

Three different commercially available structural plastic media were evaluated in triplicate in moving bed biofilters under low salinity (11–12 ppt) warm water culture conditions and two different feed loading rates. The culture system consisted of nine separate modules that include a double drain fish culture tank paired to a moving bed biofilter. The biofilters were filled with 0.11 m³ of one of three different types of floating plastic structured media. The three types of media evaluated were K1 kaldnes media, MB3 media, and AMB media. Volumetric total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) removal rates (g TAN removed/m³ media-day), TAN removal efficiency, and biofilm kinetic constants, K_i (h⁻¹) were determined for the three media types at two different daily feed load rates of 3.5 and 8.2 kg feed/m³ media. The feed provided was a 4.8 mm slow sinking marine grower diet pellet (45% protein, 17% fat). Average (±standard deviation, SD) volumetric TAN removal rates (VTR) at the lower feed load for the three media types were 92.2 ± 26.3, 86.1 ± 27.5, and 82.5 ± 25.9 for the MB3, AMB, and K1 kaldnes media, respectively. At the higher feed load the average VTR for the three media types was 186.4 ± 53.7, 172.9 ± 47.8, and 139.9 ± 38.9 for the MB3, AMB, and K1 kaldnes media, respectively. Influent TAN concentrations varied by the feed load rate and ranged from 0.55 to 0.93 mg/L and 0.83 to 1.87 mg/L for the low and higher feed loads, respectively. The percent TAN removal rates for the MB3 media was the highest of the three media types at both the low and high feed load rates averaging 12.3% and 14.4%, respectively. The MB3 media was selected for use in the moving bed biofilters because of the greater VTR and removal efficiency results for use in the 0.11 m³ moving bed biofilters of the hatchery recirculating aquaculture system.     

Effect of water velocity on ammonium and nitrite removal in pilot scale fixed bed biofilters

The effect of water velocity on nitrification rates in fixed bed biofilters was investigated in three freshwater pilot scale RAS with rainbow trout. Removal of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and nitrite-nitrogen were assessed by NH₄Cl spikes and tested at four different water velocities in the biofilters (1.4, 5.4, 10.8 and 16.2 m h⁻¹) under identical conditions. Water velocities below 10.8 m h⁻¹ significantly reduced TAN- and nitrite removal rates. The surface specific TAN removal rates correlated with the TAN concentrations at the water velocities 10.8 and 16.2 m h⁻¹, and the first order surface removal rate constant was estimated at 0.45 m h⁻¹. However, no correlations between TAN removal and TAN concentrations were found at the lowest velocities. Up to five-fold elevated nitrite levels were found in the RAS when biofilters were operated at 1.4 m h⁻¹ compared to the trials at other water velocities, substantiating the significant effect of water velocity on both nitrification processes. The importance of biofilter hydraulics documented in this pilot scale RAS probably have implications for design and operation in larger scale RAS.     

Performance and operation of a rotating biological contactor in a tilapia recirculating aquaculture system

This paper describes the performance characteristics of an industrial-scale air-driven rotating biological contactor (RBC) installed in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) rearing tilapia at 28 °C. This three-staged RBC system was configured with stages 1 and 2 possessing approximately the same total surface area and stage 3 having approximately 25% smaller. The total surface area provided by the RBC equaled 13,380 m². Ammonia removal efficiency averaged 31.5% per pass for all systems examined, which equated to an average (± standard deviation) total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) areal removal rate of 0.43 ± 0.16 g/m²/day. First-order ammonia removal rate (K₁) constants for stages 1–3 were 2.4, 1.5, and 3.0 h⁻¹, respectively. The nitrite first-order rate constants (K₂) were higher, averaging 16.2 h⁻¹ for stage 1, 7.7 h⁻¹ for stage 2, and 9.0 h⁻¹ stage 3. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels decreased an averaged 6.6% per pass across the RBC. Concurrently, increasing influent DOC concentrations decreased ammonia removal efficiency. With respect to dissolved gas conditioning, the RBC system reduced carbon dioxide concentrations approximately 39% as the water flowed through the vessel. The cumulative feed burden – describes the mass of food delivered to the system per unit volume of freshwater added to the system daily – ranged between 5.5 and 7.3 kg feed/m³ of freshwater; however, there was no detectable relationship between the feed loading rate and ammonia oxidation performance.     

Effects of formaldehyde on nitrification in biofilters of small‐scale recirculating systems

Florfenicol (Aquaflor®) is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug for treating diseased fish reared in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Treating diseased fish in RAS is challenging because of the potential to damage nitrifying bacteria in the biofilters. Impaired nitrification can lead to concentrations of ammonia and nitrite that compromise fish welfare. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a FDA‐approved parasiticide and fungicide, Parasite‐S^® (formalin), on biofilter nitrification. Stable biofilters were exposed once to 0, 9.25, 18.5, 37, or 55.5 mg/L formaldehyde. Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and nitrite nitrogen were monitored daily before and throughout the study to quantify biofilter function. Formaldehyde concentrations ≥37 mg/L increased TAN and nitrite nitrogen concentrations, and nitrification did not recover to pre‐exposure concentrations up to 8 day postexposure. On the basis of those results, a second trial was conducted. Stable biofilters were exposed once or on four consecutive days to 9.25 or 18.5 mg/L formaldehyde. Biofilters repeatedly exposed to formaldehyde showed signs of impairment and had variable recovery relative to single exposures. Results of this study may help identify formaldehyde concentrations that can be safely applied to RAS when treating diseased fish.     

Effects of body weight, water temperature and ration size on ammonia excretion by the areolated grouper (Epinephelus areolatus) and mangrove snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)

The effects of body weight, water temperature and ration size on ammonia excretion rates of the areolated grouper Epinephelus areolatus and the mangrove snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus were investigated. Under given experimental conditions, L. argentimaculatus had a higher weight-specific ammonia excretion rate than E. areolatus. Weight-specific ammonia excretion rates of fasted individuals of both species showed an inverse relationship with body weight (W, g wet wt.), but a positive relationship with water temperature (t, °C). The relationships for total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) were: E. areolatus: TAN (mg N kg⁻¹ d⁻¹)=21.4·exp^0.11t·W^−0.43 (r²=0.919, n=60); L. argentimaculatus: TAN (mg N kg⁻¹ d⁻¹)=121.5·exp^0.12t·W^−0.55 (r²=0.931, n=60). Following feeding, the weight-specific ammonia excretion rate of E. areolatus increased, peaked at 2 to 12 h (depending on temperature), and returned to pre-feeding levels within 24 h. A similar pattern was observed for L. argentimaculatus, with a peak of TAN excretion being found 6 to 12 h after feeding. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that weight-specific TAN excretion rates of both species increased with increasing temperature and ration (R, percent body wt. d⁻¹): E. areolatus: TAN (mg N kg⁻¹ d⁻¹)=22.8·t−28.8·R−378.2 (r²=0.832, n=24); L. argentimaculatus: TAN (mg N kg⁻¹ d⁻¹)=22.9·t−25.4·R−216.4 (r²=0.611, n=24). The effect of body weight on weight-specific postprandial TAN excretion was not significant in either species (p>0.05). This study provides empirical data for estimating ammonia excretion of these two species under varying conditions. This has application for culture management.     

An experimental study on nitrification biofilm performances using a series reactor system

Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration is often a key limiting water quality parameter in intensive aquaculture systems. Removing ammonia through biological filtration is thus the first objective in recirculating aquaculture system design. In this study, the performance characteristics of a steady-state nitrification biofilm were explored using a series of reactors. Four nitrification kinetics parameters were estimated using the data collected from the experimental system, including minimum TAN concentration, half saturation constant, maximum TAN removal rate and maximum specific bacterial growth rate. Experimental data showed that a minimum TAN concentration was needed to support a steady-state nitrification biofilm. For the temperature of 27.2°C, the mean minimum TAN concentration was 0.07 mg/l. For a single substrate-limiting factor, the relationship between TAN removal rate (R) and TAN concentration (S) was represented by an empirical equation [R=1859(S−0.07)/(S+1.93)]. The characteristics of nitrite oxidation were also demonstrated by the experiment system. The results of this study will help to better understand the characteristics of nitrification biofilters applied in recirculating aquaculture systems.     

Rating fixed film nitrifying biofilters used in recirculating aquaculture systems

Predicting the performance of biofilters is an engineering challenge that is critical to both designers and managers. The task is complicated by the wide variety of water quality expectations and environmental conditions displayed by a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). A myriad of biofilters designs have been generated reflecting approaches of engineers attempting to maximize specific surface area and oxygen transfer within the context of a biofilm management strategy. A rating strategy is presented for biofilters to facilitate the identification of appropriate matches between biofiltration formats and RAS applications. As a foundation, a previously proposed RAS classification system based upon salinity, temperature and trophic levels is upgraded to create 17 systems classifications. A biofilter classification system identifies seven combinations of trophic level and pH which should be sufficient to serve the RAS demands. Temperature and salinity are neglected as a means of simplifying the approach. An experimental methodology based upon chemical feeds is proposed to represent the steady-state RAS performance of the biofilters. Data is summarized by linear analysis of filter performance for concentration ranges below 1.0 g TAN m⁻³ and simple averaging is proposed for higher trophic levels. Input from the aquacultural engineering community and RAS aquaculturists is required to further refine the approach prior to endorsement.     

Feeding has the largest effect on the ammonia excretion rate of the southern rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii, and the western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus

The total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) excretion of spiny lobsters Jasus edwardsii and Panulirus cygnus, was determined in relation to temperature, body weight, emersion, daily rhythm and feeding. Temperature and body weight had large influences on the rate of TAN excretion. Exponential relationships were found between temperature (T) and TAN excretion of both species. These were described by the following equations: J. edwardsii Log₁₀ TAN=0.041T−3.57 (r²=0.979, F=143.2, P=0.001), P. cygnus Log₁₀ TAN=0.057T−3.90 (r²=0.987, F=302.2, P<0.001). TAN excretions of both species were positively correlated to body weight (W), and the relationships were described by the following equations: J. edwardsii Log₁₀ TAN=0.473 log₁₀ W−1.704 (r²=0.42, F=14.05, P=0.001), P. cygnus Log₁₀ TAN=0.499 log₁₀ W−1.346 (r²=0.69, F=44.18, P<0.001). TAN excretion increased significantly when lobsters were re-immersed after a 30 min period of emersion. However, it returned to pre-emersion levels by the second hour of re-immersion. Daily rhythm resulted in a significantly higher nocturnal TAN excretion rate for J. edwardsii; no daily rhythm was observed for P. cygnus. Feeding had the largest influence on TAN excretion, with maximum increases of 6.28 (J. edwardsii) and 5.60 (P. cygnus) times the pre-feeding level. TAN excretion rates remained significantly higher than the pre-feeding levels for an extended period (26 h, J. edwardsii; 30 h, P. cygnus). Implications for the use of purging tanks in lobster holding facilities and for the design of biofiltration systems are discussed.     

Linear versus Monod representation of ammonia oxidation rates in oligotrophic recirculating aquaculture systems

Monod kinetics are widely used to model nitrifying biofilters. However, these kinetics are incapable of representing the collapse of volumetric TAN conversion rate (VTR) under high organic loadings. Failure to recognize the underlying heterotrophic interference can lead to calibration issues as a single Monod function is applied across contrasting levels of carbon loading. This, plus an historic bias towards the analysis of peak carrying capacities leave modelers poorly prepared to serve the needs of a mariculture industry demanding oligotrophic designs for broodstock maturation and larval/fingerling production. Consequently, data was generated by a Monte Carlo technique under the assumption of heterotrophic inhibition to nitrification. The data was used to compare the accuracy of calibration of the Monod relationship using the traditional Lineweaver–Burke and Eadie–Hofstee calibration methods against direct linear regression for low substrate (mesotrophic/oligotrophic) regimes. The results indicate that a simple linear relationship with a zero intercept, calibrated on data ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 g-TAN m⁻³, is most suitable for the representation of the mesotrophic/oligotrophic performance of nitrifying biofilters based on a comparison of SSE for both the Monte Carlo and field data analyzed herein. Additionally, the coefficient of variation was found to be between 7 and 8% for the parameter τ, which is the slope of the linear relationship between total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and VTR while the CV for the Monod parameters ranged between 22 and 143% for VTR_max and between 29 and 137% for the apparent half-saturation constant showing the improved stability of the linear model to that of the Monod model.     

Comparison of nutrients release among some maricultured animals

Integrated mariculture is a feasible method to maintain sustainable and high productivity of aquaculture. The choice of cultured animals and biofilters in the integrated system has to be made on the basis of their nutrient release rates and the clearance rate of each component of the system. We are examining the nutrient release rates among fish (mangrove snapper, Lutjanus russeli, and sea perch, Abudefduf septemfasciatus), abalone (Haliotis diversicolor), scallops (Chlamys noblis), and green mussels (Perna viridis) in the laboratory. Fish feed is the major sources of inorganic nutrient input in fish farms. The orthophosphate and ammonia release rates of minced trash fish (1593 μg P g⁻¹ day⁻¹ and 150 μg N g⁻¹ day⁻¹) were respectively 6–12 times and 4–88 times higher than those of cultivated fish. Mangrove snapper had the overall highest nutrient release rate, followed by sea perch, abalone, scallops, and mussels for nitrite and nitrate; and followed by abalone, sea perch, mussels, and scallops for orthophosphate and ammonium. Among mollusks, abalone had the highest orthophosphate (162 μg P g⁻¹ day⁻¹), nitrate (1.4 μg N g⁻¹ day⁻¹), nitrite (1.6 μg N g⁻¹ day⁻¹) and ammonium (25.0 μg N g⁻¹ day⁻¹) release rates per gram wet weight per day. Abalone released large amounts of orthophosphate, nitrite and nitrate in the experiment. Scallops and green mussels had low nutrient release rates.     

生物强化移动床生物膜反应器处理水产养殖循环水初步研究

利用自制的硝化细菌菌剂促进移动床生物膜反应器(Moving bed biofilm reactor,MBBR)的挂膜启动,分析不同载体氨氮负荷、碳氮比条件下反应器运行状况,并进一步进行了实验室模拟循环水养殖草金鱼实验。结果显示,利用自制硝化菌剂能够完成整个移动床反应器的启动过程,在接种15 d后使循环出水氨氮稳定在1 mg/L以下。单位体积载体氨氮负荷实验表明,MBBR能够在100 mg TAN/(L填料·d)条件下,使出水满足一般水产养殖水质要求(氨氮0.5 mg/L,亚硝氮0.1 mg/L)。进水碳氮比在1以内时MBBR能够稳定高效运行。在实验室模拟循环水养殖过程中,经菌剂强化的MBBR能维持循环出水氨氮低于0.5 mg/L,亚硝氮低于0.05 mg/L。     

Development of a Model to Simulate Nitrogen Dynamics in an Integrated Shrimp–Macroalgae Culture System with Zero Water Exchange

The effluents of traditional shrimp monoculture cause pollution and promote eutrophication and hypernutrification of the receiving coastal ecosystems. Integrated aquaculture and a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) have been proposed as an alternative to address these problems. In this study, we developed a dynamic model to simulate the concentration of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), nitrite, and nitrate in an integrated culture of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, and seaweed, Gracilaria vermiculophylla, in a recirculating and zero water exchange system, and the effect of nitrifying and heterotrophic bacteria was also included. The experiments demonstrated that a dynamic model can explain the concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and variations in these concentrations over time in the integrated culture. The results also suggest that nitrifying and heterotrophic bacteria play an important role in the transformation of dissolved nitrogenous compounds; therefore, these bacteria should be considered within the dynamics of nitrogen in integrated systems with low water exchange.     

不同有机碳源及C/N对生物滤池净化效果的影响

利用生物滤池模拟装置,以实际养殖废水为处理对象,探讨了4种常见有机碳源(葡萄糖、乙醇、红糖和淀粉)及不同碳氮比对有机物去除、硝化反应和异养反硝化作用等生物滤池主要净化过程的影响.碳源初选结果显示,同种碳源下,当C/N从0升高至6过程中,生物滤池对TAN(总氨氮)的去除率呈先升高后降低趋势;当C/N较小时,各组对NO2--N的去除率差异性不显著(P＞0.05),随着C/N继续升高,NO2-N去除率则显著降低(P＜0.05);乙醇组除外,其他3组随着C/N升高,CODMn去除率先迅速增大然后趋于稳定;各组NO3-N和TN去除率呈先升高后降低趋势,且变化显著(P＜0.05),当C/N=4时,分别达到最高值.碳源复选结果显示,在C/N=4条件下,分别添加有机碳源(乙醇、淀粉、红糖和葡萄糖)的4组对TAN、NO3--N、TN和CODM的去除率显著高于对照组(P＜0.05);而对照组NO2--N的去除率最高,达到93.59％;添加乙醇,生物滤池对水体中TAN、NO2-N、NO3-N和TN的去除效果优于其他3种碳源.研究表明,当C/N=4时,乙醇作为外加碳源能很好地提高生物滤池的净化效率.     

Heterotrophic denitrification of aquaculture effluent using fluidized sand biofilters

The ability to consistently and cost-effectively reduce nitrate-nitrogen loads in effluent from recirculating aquaculture systems would enhance the industry's environmental stewardship and allow improved facility proximity to large markets in sensitive watersheds. Heterotrophic denitrification technologies specifically employing organic carbon found in aquaculture system waste offer a unique synergy for treatment of land-based, closed-containment production outflows. For space-efficient fluidized sand biofilters to be used as such denitrification reactors, system parameters (e.g., influent dissolved oxygen and carbon to nitrogen ratios, C:N) must be evaluated to most effectively use an endogenous carbon source. The objectives of this work were to quantify nitrate removal under a range of C:Ns and to explore the biofilter bacterial community using three replicated fluidized sand biofilters (height 3.9 m, diameter 0.31 m; fluidized sand volume plus biofilm volume of 0.206 m³) operated at a hydraulic retention time of 15 min and a hydraulic loading rate of 188 L/min m² at The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA. Nitrate reduction was consistently observed during the biofilter study period (26.9 ± 0.9% removal efficiency; 402 ± 14 g NO₃-N/(m³ biofilter d)) although nitrite-N and total ammonium nitrogen concentrations slightly increased (11 and 13% increases, respectively). Nitrate removal efficiency was correlated with carbonaceous oxygen demand to nitrate ratios (R² > 0.70). Nitrate removal rates during the study period were moderately negatively correlated with influent dissolved oxygen concentration indicating it may be possible the biofilter hydraulic retention time was too short to provide optimized nitrate removal. It is reasonable to assume that the efficiency of nitrate removal across the fluidized sand biofilters could be substantially increased, as long as organic carbon was not limiting, by increasing biofilter bed depths (to 6–10 m), and thus hydraulic retention time. These findings provide a low-cost yet effective technology to remove nitrate-nitrogen from effluent waters of land-based closed-containment aquaculture systems.     

Nitrogen waste from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with particular focus on urea

Particulate and dissolved nitrogen (N) waste components are removed in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) using different cleaning technologies, and to dimension and optimize their removal efficiency requires that the expected daily load of the different waste forms can be estimated. Using a laboratory, mass-balance approach, the current study examined the effects of commercially applied feeding levels on the loading of different N waste forms, including daily fluctuations in dissolved total nitrogen (TN), total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), urea-N, and non-characterized, dissolved N deriving from juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In addition, the study examined whether there was a removal of urea-N across a moving bed biofilter operated as end-of-pipe under commercial conditions. The laboratory, mass-balance study showed that there were no effects of feeding levels (1.3, 1.5 or 1.7% of the biomass per day ) on the excretion of dissolved N components, which constituted the majority of total N waste (>81.6% on average). The excretion of urea-N and non-characterized, dissolved N components constituted 12–13% and 9–11%, respectively of dissolved TN. The excretion of urea-N was largely constant and independent of the daily feeding practice, whereas that of non-characterized N appeared to reflect the daily feeding activity, following the trends in TN and TAN. The time limited feeding regime applied in the laboratory study resulted in a pulse in the excretion of TAN that a biofilter may be unable to fully level out, potentially resulting in unnoticed, critical water quality conditions in intensive RAS during certain times of the day. Particulate N waste constituted a minor fraction of total N waste (<18.4% on average), and the actual loading depended on the digestibility of dietary protein/nitrogen. Results from the commercially operated, nitrifying biofilter showed that urea-N was removed at a rate of 0.014 g N m² day⁻¹. Compared to the removal of TAN (0.208 g N m² day⁻¹), the moving bed biofilter was 1.07 times more active in removing dissolved N than immediately expected when only considering TAN.     

Use of fluidized bed biofilter and immobilized Rhodopseudomonas palustris for ammonia removal and fish health maintenance in a recirculation aquaculture system

Intensive recirculating aquaculture relies on biofilters to sustain satisfactory water quality in the system. Fluidized bed and immobilized cell technologies were used to remove ammonia from the water and maintain fish health. A high‐rate nitrifying fluidized bed biofilter combined with valveless filter was designed for use in a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS). The suspended solids produced during fish culture could automatically be removed using a valveless filter. Natural porosity with fitting proportion, steady fluidization and expanding rate was chosen as the fluidized carrier. The technology of bacterial separation and cultivation was used. The immobilized Rhodopseudomonas palustris (R. palustris) produced through a biotechnologically embedding medium is suitable for fish and could help prevent diseases. Nitrification was promoted through the selective rearing of nitrobacteria in a fluidized bed biofilter. Water quality was improved using fluidized bed biofilter and immobilized R. palustris in the RAS. In addition, the proposed system was able to reduce costs. Maximum fish load was 45 ± 3 kg m^?3 in the closed recirculating water fish culture system, and water use was reduced by 80–90%. The total ammonia nitrogen removal rate of the technology was 80–95%, and nitrite N removal rate was above 80%.