Biofilm Processes for Volume Decrease in Recirculating Water Treatment Systems for Aquaculture

The engineering aspect of water treatment processes in the recirculating aquaculture system was studied. To recycle the water in the aquaculture system, a wastewater treatment process was required to maintain high water quality for the growth and health of the cultured fish. In this study, three different biofilm processes were used to reduce the concentration of organic matters and ammonia from the recirculating water - two phase fluidized bed, three phase fluidized bed, and trickling filter. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the optimum treatment conditions of the biofilm processes for the recirculating aquaculture system, and thereby reduce the volume of biofilm processes, which are commonly used for the recycle water treatment processes for aquaculture. The result of this study showed that the removal efficiency of organic matters by trickling filter was found to be lower than that of the fluidized bed. In the trickling filter system, anthracite showed better organic removal efficiency than crushed stone as a media. In the two phase fluidized bed, the maximum removal efficiency of either organics or ammonia was obtained when both the packing rate of media was maintained to $40\%$ of total reactor depth excepting sediment zone and the bed expansion rate was maintained to $100\%$. When 100 tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) of each average 200g was reared, the pollutant production rate was 0.07g $NH_4\;^+-N/kg$ fish/day and 0.06g P04-3-P/kg fish/day, and sludge production rate was 0.39 g SS/kg fish/day. In the two phase and three phase fluidized bed, the volume of water treatment tank could be calculated from an empirical equation by using the relationship between the influent COD to $NH_4\;^+-N$ ratio (C/N, -), media concentration (Cm, g/L), influent ammonia nitrogen concentration (Ni, mg/L), effluent ammonia nitrogen concentration (Ne, mg/L), bed expansion rate $(E,\;\%)$, and influent flowrate $(Q,\;m^3/hr)$. The empirical equation from this study is $$V_2\;=\;10^{3.1279}\;C/N^{3.5461}\;C_m\;^{-3.7473}\;N_i\;^{4.6477}\;E^{0.0326}\;N_e\;^{-0..8849}\;Q\;(Two\;Phase\;FB) V_3\;=\;10^{11.7507}\;C/N^{-1.2330}\;C_m\;^{-6.5715}\;N_i\;^{1.5091}\;N_e\;^{-1.8489}\;Q (Three\;Phase\;FB)$$