Method for improving quality of aquaculture pond water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908799-B2
Application number	US-201514720088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2015
Priority date	May 23, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A method for treating and improving the quality of pond water used in growing aquatic species for aquacultural applications by adding to the pond water active bacteria that are preferably grown on site in combination with a nitrification enhancement agent such as calcium carbonate or calcified seaweed, and an optional reaction surface area modifier such as calcified seaweed or plastic or metal particles or fragments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for treating water in a growing pond used in an aquaculture application, the method comprising:
generating a batch of active bacteria solution in a biogenerator around once every 12 to 36 hours over the course of a treatment cycle, wherein the biogenerator is located near the growing pond used in the aquaculture application and wherein the active bacteria are useful for remediating the water by degrading organic waste and inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria;
adding each batch of active bacteria solution from the biogenerator to the water in the growing pond;
providing a nitrification enhancement agent comprising an agent that increases the alkalinity of the water, an agent that provides increased surface area for the growth of biofilms, or both;
adding the nitrification enhancement agent to the water in the growing pond contemporaneously with at least one of the batches of active bacteria; and
wherein the active bacteria is selected from the group consisting of the genera Bacillus, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Lueconostoc, Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Megasphaera, Pseudomonas and Propionibacterium.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the active bacteria is selected from probiotic bacteria.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the probiotic bacteria is selected from the group consisting of Bacillus amylophilus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacteroides ruminocola, Bacteroides ruminocola, Bacterioides suis, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium animalis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Enterococcus cremoris, Enterococcus diacetylactis, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus intermedius, Enterococcus lactis, Enterococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus cellobiosus, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbruekii, Lactobacillus farciminis, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus reuteri, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Megasphaera elsdennii, Pediococcus acidilacticii, Pediococcus cerevisiae, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, Propionibacterium freudenreichii , and Propionibacterium shermanii.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the active bacteria solution is diluted prior to adding it into the water.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the active bacteria is diluted in water obtained from the growing pond used in the aquaculture application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrification enhancement agent is calcium carbonate, calcified seaweed, or both.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the nitrification enhancement agent is provided in the form of prills, pellets or particles.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing and dispersing an additional surface area modifier in the water contemporaneously with at least one batch of the active bacteria.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the surface area modifier is selected from the group consisting of particles or fragments of plastic or metal.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the nitrification enhancement agent comprises an alkalinity increasing agent and an agent that provides increased surface area for the growth of biofilms;
wherein the alkalinity increasing agent is added to the water in the growing pond contemporaneously with a batch of active bacteria on a seasonal basis; and
wherein the alkalinity increasing agent and surface area increasing agent may be the same agent or two different agents.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the adding bacteria and adding nitrification enhancement agents steps decrease the nitrate level in the water in the growing pond by at least around 50% compared to the level prior to these steps.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the adding bacteria and adding nitrification enhancement agents steps decrease a level of phosphate in the water in the growing pond by at least around 50% compared to the level prior to these steps.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising mixing or pumping the water in the growing pond to disperse the added bacteria, the nitrification enhancement agent, or both.

14. The method of 6 wherein the nitrification enhancement agent is calcified seaweed that is added to the water in the growing pond at a rate of around 100 lbs. per 1,000,000 ft 3 of water.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein a volume of each batch of active bacteria solution is around 3 L of solution per 100,000 gallons of water in the growing pond.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a first batch of active bacteria solution in a first biogenerator around once every 12 to 36 hours over the course of a treatment cycle;
generating one or more other batches of active bacteria solution in one or more other biogenerators around once every 12 to 36 hours over the course of the treatment cycle; and
adding each batch of active bacteria solution from the biogenerators to the water in the growing pond.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first batch of active bacteria solution comprises a first bacteria species and the one or more other batches of active bacteria solution comprise a second bacteria species different from the first bacteria species.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the generating steps collectively generate batches of around 3 L of active bacteria solutions per 100,000 gallons of water being treated.

Assignees

• Nch Corp

Inventors

• Greenwald Charles J
• Cao Haibo
• Zetena Christopher
• Church Jordan E
• Gillespie Kelly

Classifications

• C02F2101/16

  Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia · CPC title

• C02F3/308

  Biological phosphorus removal · CPC title

• C02F2101/30

  Organic compounds · CPC title

• C02F3/348

  characterised by the way or the form in which the microorganisms are added or dosed · CPC title

• C02F2103/20

  from animal husbandry · CPC title