Recirculating aquaculture system and treatment method for aquatic species
A recirculating aquaculture system automatically controls ammonia, bacteria, solids, and feed quantity available to a captive species in a closed, water-based habitat. Functionally Independent processing loops operate in parallel on recirculating water streams, to control each of ammonia, bacteria, solids, and feed. The same or similar components, such as an electrolytic cell, may service one or more functional loops.
1. A recirculating aquaculture system for treating an aqueous stream supporting a contained aquatic species, comprising:
a containment providing habitat for a selected aquatic species;
a plurality of functional control loops operating in parallel and communicating with said containment to recirculate and treat an aqueous stream;
wherein the functional control loops comprise:
an ammonia control loop;
a bacteria control loop;
a solids control loop; and
a feeding control loop.
2. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 1 , wherein said ammonia control loop comprises:
a chlorine production system introducing chlorine gas into the ammonia control loop;
a mechanical filter located in a downstream position relative to said chlorine production system, removing solids from said aqueous stream; and
an activated carbon filter located in a downstream position relative to said chlorine production system, absorbing chloramine compounds and free chlorine from the aqueous stream.
3. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 2 , wherein said chlorine production system is chosen from an ozone system and a liquid chlorine drip system.
4. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 2 , wherein said chlorine production system comprises:
an electrolytic cell containing at least a set of reaction plates generating chlorine gas in response to a current applied between plates of said set, wherein said electrolytic cell applies a current between plates of the set, thereby generating chlorine gas; and
a cell controller for said electrolytic cell, detecting ammonia level in said aqueous stream and varying operating parameters of the electrolytic cell, wherein said operating parameters are selected from voltage and current, and wherein said cell controller varies the operating parameters of the electrolytic cell in response to detected changes in ammonia level in the aqueous stream.
5. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 2 , wherein said chlorine production system comprises:
an electrolytic cell containing at least a set of reaction plates generating chlorine gas in response to a current applied between plates of said set, wherein said electrolytic cell applies a current between plates of the set, thereby generating chlorine gas; and
a cell controller for said electrolytic cell, detecting ammonia level in said aqueous stream and varying flow rate through the electrolytic cell, wherein said cell controller varies flow rate through the electrolytic cell inversely to detected changes in ammonia level in the aqueous stream.
6. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 2 , wherein said mechanical filter comprises a filter media chosen from micro screen filter media, disc filter media, and granular media.
7. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 1 , wherein said bacteria control loop comprises:
a bacteria suppression chamber operating a bacteria suppressing means; and
a bacteria suppression controller adjusting operation of said bacteria suppressing means at said bacteria suppression chamber.
8. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 7 , wherein said bacteria suppression controller further comprises:
means for measuring a water quality parameter and adjusting operation of said bacteria suppressing means in response thereto; and
said bacteria suppressing means is selected from an ozone generator, an ultraviolet lamp, and an electrolytic processing chamber.
9. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 1 , wherein said solids control loop comprises:
a solids controller communicating with an solids image processor providing visual analysis of the aquatic stream; and
a solids filter;
wherein said solids controller and solids image processor determines turbidity of the aquatic stream and regulates flow through said solids filter in response thereto.
10. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 9 , wherein:
said solids filter is a mechanical filter selected from a drum filter, a cartridge filter, and a foam fractionator.
11. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 1 , wherein:
said feeding control loop comprises a monitor, selected from an audible behavior monitor and a visual population monitor, applied to said aqueous stream to monitor said aqueous species.
12. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 11 , wherein said selected monitor is an audible behavior monitor, comprising:
a feeding controller having a hydrophone monitoring the sound behavior of said aquatic species during feeding, thereby indicating a feeding need from sound;
and wherein said recirculating aquaculture system further comprises:
a feed dispenser responsive to said feeding controller to distribute feed as the aquatic species behavior indicates.
13. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 11 , wherein said selected monitor is a visual population monitor, comprising:
a feeding controller having an image processor providing a visual indication of population size, enabling determination of corresponding weight, thereby indicating feeding need; and
wherein said recirculating aquaculture system further comprises:
a feed dispenser responsive to said feeding controller to distribute feed as the aquatic species population size and weight indicates.
14. A method for treating captive aquatic species in a recirculating aquaculture system to control excessive accumulation of ammonia, bacteria, and solids within the system, comprising:
providing a closed, water-based habitat containing a selected aquatic species;
treating an aqueous stream that recirculates with respect to said habitat in a plurality of functional control loops operating in parallel;
wherein the control loops comprise:
an ammonia control loop initially treating the aqueous stream by generating chlorine to convert ammonia into chloramine compounds and produce free chlorine, the ammonia control loop further treating the aqueous stream by removing chloramine compounds and free chlorine;
a bacteria control loop applying a bacteria suppressing means to the aqueous stream within a bacteria suppression chamber;
a solids control loop determining turbidity of the aqueous stream and regulating flow of the aqueous stream through a solids filter in response to the degree of determined turbidity; and
a feeding control loop monitoring the aqueous species by means selected from an audible and a visual monitor, determining feeding needs from the selected monitor, and dispensing feed in responsive to the determined need.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said step of generating chlorine comprises:
providing an electrolytic cell containing at least a set of reaction plates generating chlorine gas in response to a current applied between plates of the set, wherein the electrolytic cell applies a current between plates of the set, thereby generating chlorine gas to the aqueous stream; and
providing a cell controller for said electrolytic cell, detecting ammonia level in the aqueous stream and varying parameters of operation for the electrolytic cell in response to detected ammonia level, wherein the operating parameters are selected from voltage and current.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said step of generating chlorine comprises:
providing an electrolytic cell containing at least a set of reaction plates generating chlorine gas in response to a current applied between plates of the set, wherein the electrolytic cell applies a current between plates of the set, thereby generating chlorine gas to the aqueous stream; and
providing a cell controller for said electrolytic cell, detecting ammonia level in the aqueous stream and varying flow rate through the electrolytic cell in response to detected ammonia level.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said step of applying a bacteria suppressing means to the aqueous stream within a bacteria suppression chamber comprises:
providing bacteria suppression chamber that is an operating electrolytic processing chamber; and
treating the aqueous stream to suppress bacteria by flowing it through the electrolytic processing chamber.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the selected means for monitoring the aqueous species is an audible behavior monitor;
further comprising:
monitoring audible behavior of the aquatic species during feeding; and
dispensing feed in a quantity responsive to the audible behavior.
19. A recirculating aquaculture system for treating an aqueous stream supporting a contained aquatic species, comprising:
a containment providing habitat for the contained aquatic species;
a plurality of functional control loops operating in parallel and communicating with said containment to recirculate and treat an aqueous stream;
wherein said control loops include a feeding control loop comprising a monitor, selected from an audible behavior monitor and a visual population monitor, applied to said aqueous stream to monitor said aqueous species.
20. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 19 , wherein said selected monitor of said feeding control loop is an audible behavior monitor, comprising:
a feeding controller having a hydrophone monitoring the sound behavior of said aquatic species during feeding, thereby indicating a feeding need from sound;
and wherein said recirculating aquaculture system further comprises:
a feed dispenser responsive to said feeding controller to distribute feed as the aquatic species behavior indicates.
21. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 19 , wherein said selected monitor of said feeding control loop is a visual population monitor, comprising:
a feeding controller having an image processor providing a visual indication of population size, enabling determination of corresponding weight, thereby indicating a feeding need;
and wherein said recirculating aquaculture system further comprises:
a feed dispenser responsive to said feeding controller to distribute feed as the aquatic species population size and weight indicates.
22. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 19 , wherein said control loops further include a bacteria control loop, comprising:
a bacteria suppression chamber operating a bacteria suppressing means; and
a bacteria suppression controller for measuring a water quality parameter and adjusting operation of said bacteria suppressing means in response thereto.
23. The recirculating aquaculture system of claim 19 , wherein said control loops include a solids control loop, comprising:
a solids controller communicating with a solids image processor, providing visual analysis of the aquatic stream; and
a solids filter;
wherein said solids controller and solids image processor determine turbidity of the aquatic stream and regulate flow through said solids filter in response thereto.