Abstract:
This research evaluated the effects of different aeration systems on the ammonia removal efficiency of biofloc in a closed aquaculture system for whiteleg shrimp cultivation. The study consisted of three experiments. The first experiment investigated 3 different levels of initial carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio as 5:1, 10:1, and 15:1 to induce synthetic biofloc production for inorganic nitrogen removal. The results showed that the 30-day acclimation at a C/N ratio of 5:1 was sufficient to produce biofloc that effectively removed inorganic nitrogen, including ammonia and nitrite, through a complete nitrification process. Ammonia and nitrite could be removed from 5.95±0.77 and 1.59±0.46 mg-N/L to below 0.30 and 0.50 mg-N/L, respectively, within 12 days, while nitrate accumulated to 44.2±10.5 mg.-N/L with biofloc production at 470.00±14.1 mg-TSS/L. The second experiment investigated the efficiencies of aeration systems, between an aeration diffuser and a modified venturi. The results showed that the modified venturi had higher efficiency than the aeration diffuser, which has an oxygen transfer coefficient (KLa) of 0.70±0.01 /hour, a standard oxygen transfer rate (SOTR) of 57.68±0.18 kg-O2/hour, a standard aeration efficiency (SAE) of 57.68±0.18 kg-O2/Kilowatt-hour, and a standard oxygen transfer efficiency (SOTE) of 7.73±0.99%. The last experiment investigated the performance of aeration systems applied in a closed aquaculture system with a biofloc system. Beginning with the pre-induced biofloc at a C/N ratio of 5:1 then combine into the whiteleg shrimp cultivation at an initial density of 0.3 kg/m3 for 60 days, comparing between a control set with an aeration diffuser and a treatment set with a modified venturi. The results showed that different aeration systems did not affect the particle size of biofloc, with an average size in the ranges of 70150 micron and the amount of biofloc in the ranges of 160190 mg-TSS/L. Biofloc could control ammonia and nitrite below 1 mg-N/L through the nitrification process with nitrate accumulation of 30 mg-N/L. However, the dissolved oxygen level in the control (7.33±0.33 mg/L) was higher than in the treatment (6.70±0.34 mg/L). Considering the higher temperature of the treatment (28.57±0.34 °C) was above the control (25.85±1.21°C), this was a result of the heat generated by the installed pump which led to an increased water temperature. The higher water temperature leads to lower dissolved oxygen levels in the aquaculture tank of treatment set