Preliminary research on the anammox process and control of nitrogen compounds in a recirculating aquaculture system

Using anammox process in biological filtration of technological water within recirculatingaquaculture system is an alternative to nitrification / denitrification process which can reduce productioncosts, especially energy by replacing aerobic biological processes that require high oxygen consumption,provided through the addition for optimal function of biofilter (conversion of N-NH4 and N-NO2). Aim ofthis paper is to highlight the first steps in the control of nitrogen compounds in recirculating aquaculturesystems using anammox process. Data shown are obtained after 78 researching days (research stillongoing), the results being encouraging, registering an ammonium removal efficiency of 77% in SC1 andof 32% in SC2. Nitrites registered an increase in SC1 and a decrease in SC2 and there are allprerequisites showing that in SC2 anammox activity is more advanced than in SC1. The average ofoxygen consumption rate was 0.73 mgL-1 in SC1 smaller than 0.99 mgL-1 from SC2, which reinforces theidea that there are anammox process in SC2.