As an alternative to traditional water treatment methods, ozone is increasingly used in aquaculture. Maintaining the health of aquatic habitats requires disinfection of circulated water. As a disinfectant, ozone produces no chemical residues or harmful byproducts. The use of ozone increases the lifespan of aquaculture and decreases the incidence of illnesses.

Aquaculture systems can take advantage of ozone disinfection to prevent and eliminate fish diseases. Fish farming requires excellent water quality, and this is an essential element of intensive fish farming.

A simple ozone system can be adapted for large and small ponds, raceways and nurseries. Reducing mortality rates and increasing productivity are two primary benefits of improved water quality. There are also potential benefits for water treatment, vaccines, and antibiotics.

Ozone generators can be used in aquaculture systems that recirculate water. Aquaculture systems utilizing ozone with recirculating water offer significant benefits, including increased site flexibility, reduced water consumption, improved water quality, and decreased levels of waterborne diseases.

In addition to reducing TSS and DOC, Ozone also helps to control biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The combination of these factors lowers effluent volume, increases environmental control standards, and improves productivity. Oxygen is transformed back into oxygen after approximately twenty to twenty-five minutes of residual ozone exposure.

Aquaculture and fish farming can use ozone to disinfect water instead of chlorine-containing chemicals. Using ozone for water treatment has the benefit of drastically improving the water environment when compared to other water treatment agents. Ozone breaks down chlorinated byproducts that are already formed. In fish farming, fish are cultivated in enclosures or tanks for commercial purposes. A growing number of fish hatcheries and fish farms supply the world’s needs for fish.

Fish farms must use farming techniques that cultivate more fish in smaller or the same tank volume in order to supply this demand. Thus, as there are more fishes in the water, the risk of infection by bacteria and viruses increases as well. Due to these problems, certain aquaculture operators dose their fish with strong antibiotics to maintain their growth. In this situation, the fish may end up contaminated with these drugs. The problem is that many of these fish farming operations continue to use antibiotics, which can result in harmful effects on human health and fish farming. Neither bacteria nor viruses survive the ozone treatment for aquaculture because it does not leave any residue behind.

Removal Of Fine and Colloidal Solids

Both fine and colloidal solids are composed of particles ranging from 1-30 microns (mm) and 0.001 microns (mm), respectively. Because the particles are small, the solids remain suspended and do not need to be separated using mechanical methods. Accumulation of fine and colloidal solids can reduce nitrification efficiency in bio-filters and stress fish populations

Fine and colloidal solids are removed by ozone by clumping together (microflocculation), which allows them to be removed by foam-fractionation, filtration, or sedimentation.

Removal Of Dissolved Organic Compounds

Organic compounds are non-biodegradable and accumulate based on feed input, the rate at which water exchanges with the solids, and the removal rate of the solids. In high concentrations of dissolved organic compounds, fish may become stressed and nitrification efficiency may decrease.  

Removal Of Nitrite

As organic loading increases and production intensifies, nitrite accumulation can occur. Nitrosomonas spp., which produces nitrite when ammonia is converted into nitrite by bacteria, performs more efficiently under high organic loadings than Nitrobacter, which produces nitrite when nitrite is converted to nitrate. Nitrite levels above a certain threshold can cause fish to die. Nitrites as low as 2.8 parts per million (ppm) can reduce the growth of fingerlings of the silver perch fish by five percent, according to studies conducted on the species.

Disinfection

There are several factors that make the ozone generator a better solution for fish pathogens: high stocking densities, associated fish stress, and increased nutrient loads. The use of ozone is one of the best ways to minimize the risk of disease outbreaks. It is also beneficial to reduce pathogens load introduced to surface waters. In order to prevent exotic diseases from spreading, effluent water must also be disinfected before it is released into the environment.

Fish pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa are all effectively inactivated by ozone. Ozone exposure time, ozone concentration, pathogen loads, and organic matter have a direct impact on the effectiveness of the treatment. There may be difficulty maintaining enough residual ozone for effective disinfection when there are high levels of organic matter present. Oxidation of organic matter increases the demand for ozone.

Other Notable Benefits

• It has the ability to disinfect, which can reduce the spread of diseases;
• Removes organic compounds dissolved in the water;
• By oxidizing organic matter, it allows micro-flocculation;
• Destabilizes colloidal particles by removing fine solids;
• Nitrates are removed;
• Pathogens and toxic compounds are removed;
• Increases water recirculation rate to reduce water consumption;
• Enhanced filtration and particle efficiency;
• Water is disinfected;
• Clarifies and improves the quality of water;
• Growth rates that are faster and more efficient;
• Environmental Control Standards of Excellence;
• Cleans without leaving any residues;
• Improves the taste of seafood and fish;
• Treatment Processes Overcome Other Treatment Methods.

Bottom Line

As the oxygen levels diminish over time, the biochemical oxygen demand also increases. Changes in aquarium water parameters may cause stress and even mortality among the aquarium inhabitants. There is an extremely efficient alternative method of breaking down these organic wastes that utilizes the oxidizing agent Ozone to reduce the need for large water changes that can change the system’s chemical parameters (PH, salinity, alkalinity, etc.).

While ozone generators must be used carefully, they are among the most effective methods of disinfecting in the fish farming. You can count on us to provide you with the right option for your needs at Ozongenerators. You may also consult us on our contact page if you wish to use the ozone generator in fish farming.