Tracing activation efficiency of the bio-filtration bacteria in a recirculating aquaculture system using stable isotope analysis

2016

One challenge in starting a new recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) is to find the most efficient method to activate the nitrifying bacterial biofilm in the bio-filtration system. It has been suggested that chemical startup with ammonia and nitrite surpasses the “cold start” method where biofilm originates from the fish introduced to the un-activated system. However, there is no information on how the start-up method affects the actual nitrification activity of the bio- filtration system. The objectives of this study were to evaluate how different activation techniques affect the overall function and the nitrification activity of the bio-filtration units, and the interactions between het…