Effect of Filter Medium on Water Quality during Passive Biofilter Activation in a Recirculating Aquaculture System for Oncorhynchus mykiss

Arkadiusz Nędzarek (), Małgorzata Bonisławska, Agnieszka Tórz, Adam Tański and Krzysztof Formicki
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Arkadiusz Nędzarek: Department of Aquatic Bioengineering and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Kazimierza Królewicza 4, 71-550 Szczecin, Poland
Małgorzata Bonisławska: Department of Aquatic Bioengineering and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Kazimierza Królewicza 4, 71-550 Szczecin, Poland
Agnieszka Tórz: Department of Aquatic Bioengineering and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Kazimierza Królewicza 4, 71-550 Szczecin, Poland
Adam Tański: Department of Hydrobiology, Ichthyology and Biotechnology of Reproduction, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Kazimierza Królewicza 4, 71-550 Szczecin, Poland
Krzysztof Formicki: Department of Hydrobiology, Ichthyology and Biotechnology of Reproduction, Faculty of Food Sciences and Fisheries, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Kazimierza Królewicza 4, 71-550 Szczecin, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: High-performance biofilters for water purification in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) ensure the safety of cultures of highly nutritious fish. As the most critical step in the functioning of biofilters is their activation, the objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of commercial artificial media, namely RK Plast (BR-1), Mutag-BioChip30 (BR-2), and LevaPor (BR-3), for the passive activation of biofilters used in rainbow trout farming. Changes in NH 4 + -N, NO 2 − -N, NO 3 − -N, phosphorus, and carbon concentrations were analyzed. In the first period, an increase in NH 4 + -N concentration was recorded, before an increase in NO 2 − -N concentration (maximum concentrations ranged 0.728–1.290 and 0.982–5.198 mg N dm −3 , respectively), followed by a reduction and stabilization to a level safe for the fish (both below 0.100 mg N dm −3 ). Concurrently, a steady increase in NO 3 − -N concentration was noted, with a maximum concentration between 6.521 and 7.326 mg N dm −3 . Total phosphorus and total carbon ranged from 0.423 to 0.548 mg P dm −3 , and from 43.8 to 45.2 mg C dm −3 . The study confirmed the feasibility of using the tested artificial biofilter media for rainbow trout farming in RAS with passive biofilter activation. Biofilter activation efficiency was highest for the media with the highest specific surface area (BR-2 and BR-3). The removal of ammonium nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen was above 90%. Nitrogen biotransformation was not limited by phosphorus or carbon concentrations.

Keywords: salmonid fish; rainbow trout; RAS; nitrogen; phosphorus; carbon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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