AquaLife Bio Reactor description

The Bio Reactor

The technical function of the Bio-Reactor is primarily fermentation. At first, the difference between the submerged "anaerobe" and the non-submerged "aerobe" biological filter must be distinguished. Owing to present day aquaculture techniques, the biological filter or Bio-Reactor is generally employed. Biological filters are efficient eliminators of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Biological filtration will be used under the ACUCEWMS method to mean the process by which ammonia is first converted to nitrite and then to nitrate. This process is called nitrification of the microbiology process of nitrifying bacteria. It must be pointed out that the challenge to the inventor of ACUCEWMS was to design and produce a bio-filter that removed the ammonia and nitrite at the required rate, needed little maintenance, is cost effective, efficient and space saving and is integrated into the production system in which it is operating.

Under the ACUCEWMS method, the submerged Anaerobe Filter is used. The filter consists of a swimming pool like container, waterproofed and resistant to seawater concrete and protected in addition throughout by a non-tearable polyethylene skin, preferable in white color.

The water enters from the mechanical filter, by way of an over-flow channel, into the center of the container through a vertical water inlet tunnel. The water inlet tunnel is fabricated out of transparent acrylic material. At the bottom of the tunnel, the necessary openings are located for the water flow. The distinguishing feature of a submerged filter is that the filter media is always submerged completely below the water surface.

An aeration pipe system, similar to a spider web, is permanently fixed at the container's floor for continuously controlling air supply. The filter mass media is divided into several individual but equal mass media units. In each unit, in the center, an opening from top to bottom of the container is kept for reason of acting light shaft for the bacteria growth. The illumination of the light shaft is done through halogen metal vapor high-speed pressure lamps, aquabeam 400W and hanging close to the water surface.

To be able to colonize bacteria in an appropriate manner and to meet the required amount, it is essential to provide a large and solid surface for this purpose. It should be positioned in such a way so that the operational water, TMSS can overflow over the breeding or colonized area under closed circulations.

The filling components (filter media) presently used by Aqualife Limited of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, in their Bio-Reactor, is the Bio-Ladder, invented and developed in 1994 by Mr. Bulart, the inventor of the ACUCEWMS method. The Bio-Ladders are manufactured of polyethylene, original material of white color, under the patent "Aquatjb".

The Sipporax is made of extremely porous sintered glass, allowing both aerobic bacteria on the surface of the media and anaerobic bacteria inside the material, so that de-nitrification is accomplished in a common aerobic filter. When used within an aerobic filter, the degree on nitrification efficiency is much higher. Nitrate levels lower that 40 ppm are common place when Sipporax is used.