IoT Controlled Recirculating Aquaculture System For High Density Farming

Introduction of RAS

The Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS for short) is an industrial aquaculture model that enables the recycling of aquaculture water within the system through a series of water treatment technologies, including physical filtration, biological filtration, oxygenation, and disinfection. Its core principle is to simulate the material circulation process of the natural ecosystem. In a relatively closed environment, organic wastes such as uneaten feed and feces generated during the aquaculture process are converted into harmless substances, while the water quality is maintained stable, providing a suitable growth environment for aquatic products.

Components of RAS

Physical Filtration Unit: This is the first line of defense in the RAS system, which is used to remove solid particles in the water, such as uneaten feed, feces, and so on. Mechanical filtration equipment is usually adopted, such as drum filter, microstrainers, sand filters, etc. Drum filter can filter out larger particulate impurities, with a filtration precision generally around several tens of micrometers, which can effectively prevent these impurities from damaging subsequent equipment and polluting the water quality.

Biological Filtration Unit: This is a crucial part of the system. It mainly uses microorganisms to decompose harmful substances in the water, such as ammonia nitrogen and nitrite. The biological filter is a common biological filtration device, and its interior is filled with biological filter media, such as ceramic rings, biochemical balls, etc. These filter media provide attachment and growth sites for beneficial microorganisms like nitrifying bacteria. Through their metabolic activities, the microorganisms convert ammonia nitrogen into nitrate, thus reducing the content of harmful substances in the water.

Oxygenation Unit: To ensure sufficient oxygen supply for aquatic products, the RAS system is equipped with oxygenation devices. Commonly used ones include microporous aerators and pure oxygen aeration devices. Microporous aerators can evenly disperse air into the water, increasing the dissolved oxygen content in the water; pure oxygen aeration devices can more efficiently raise the dissolved oxygen level in the water, meeting the oxygen demands of aquatic products under high-density aquaculture conditions.

Disinfection Unit: It is used to kill pathogens such as harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites in the water, ensuring a healthy aquaculture environment. Ultraviolet disinfection devices and ozone generators are commonly used disinfection equipment. The ultraviolet disinfection device achieves the purpose of disinfection by emitting ultraviolet rays to damage the DNA structure of the pathogens; the ozone generator uses the strong oxidizing property of ozone to kill the pathogens, and after disinfection, ozone will decompose into oxygen on its own, leaving no harmful residues in the water.

Advantages of RAS

As a modern aquaculture technology, RAS has the following significant advantages:

Efficient Water Use: The RAS system recycles water, significantly reducing water consumption. It usually saves more than 90% of water compared to traditional aquaculture.

Environmentally Friendly: Due to the strict treatment and recycling of water, the RAS system can effectively reduce wastewater discharge and minimize pollution to natural water bodies.

High - density Cultivation: The RAS system can achieve high - density cultivation in a limited space, remarkably increasing the yield /unit area.

Controllable Growth Environment: The RAS system can precisely control key water quality parameters such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH value, providing the best growth environment for fish or other aquatic organisms.

Reduced Disease Transmission Risk: Since the water is strictly filtered and disinfected, the RAS system can effectively reduce the risk of pathogen transmission.

Space - saving: The RAS system usually uses indoor facilities and occupies a small area, which is especially suitable for areas with limited land resources.

Economic Benefits: The RAS system can significantly improve aquaculture efficiency and product quality, thus bringing higher economic returns.

Applications

I.Urban Aquaculture
1.Features: In urban environments, land resources are scarce and expensive. The advantage of the Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) in efficiently using space stands out. It can establish high-density aquaculture facilities in relatively small indoor spaces, such as warehouses, idle factory buildings, or even the basements of buildings.
2.Examples: Some seafood restaurants in cities, in order to ensure a stable supply of fresh aquatic products like perch and tilapia, will set up small RAS aquaculture systems near the restaurant. This not only reduces the reliance on long-distance transportation of seafood but also guarantees the freshness and quality of the aquatic products. At the same time, it can be presented as a special feature to customers.

II.High-Value Aquatic Product Cultivation
1.Features: For high-market-value aquatic products such as grouper, rainbow trout, and prawns, the RAS system can provide precise environmental control, meeting their strict requirements for water quality, temperature, light, and other growth conditions, which helps to improve the quality and yield of the products.
2.Examples: In some professional aquaculture farms, grouper is cultivated using the RAS system. By precisely controlling the water temperature between 22 - 28 °C and the salinity around 25‰ - 35‰, while optimizing water quality and light conditions, the growth rate of the grouper is accelerated, the meat becomes more delicious, and due to the stable aquaculture environment, the incidence of diseases in the grouper is reduced, thus increasing the economic benefits of aquaculture.

III.Seedling Breeding
1.Features: Seedling breeding requires extremely high environmental stability. The RAS system can precisely control key factors such as water quality and temperature, providing a good growth environment for seedlings and improving the survival rate and health of the seedlings.
2.Examples: During the breeding of shrimp seedlings, the RAS system can keep the ammonia nitrogen content in the water at an extremely low level while maintaining the water temperature within a suitable range. For example, for the breeding of Litopenaeus vannamei seedlings, the water temperature is controlled between 28 - 32 °C, which is conducive to the growth and development of the shrimp seedlings, ensuring the quality of the shrimp seedlings and providing high-quality seedlings for subsequent large-scale aquaculture.

IV.Aquatic Science Research and Teaching
1.Features: In the fields of scientific research and teaching, the RAS system provides a controllable experimental and teaching environment. Researchers can easily set different aquaculture conditions to observe the growth and physiological changes of aquatic products under various circumstances. In teaching, students can also intuitively understand the process and principles of aquaculture.
2.Examples: In aquatic research institutions, researchers use the RAS system to study the impact of fish growth hormones on growth rates. By setting different hormone levels and other environmental conditions, such as temperature and dissolved oxygen, in the system, and accurately recording the growth data of fish, theoretical support is provided for the innovation of aquaculture technologies. In school aquaculture teaching, teachers can let students operate the RAS system by themselves, such as adjusting water quality parameters and observing the feeding behavior of fish, to enhance students' practical abilities.

Technical Specifications

FAQ:

Q: Are you a factory or a trading company?
A: We are a manufacturer with a factory covering an area of 2,000 square meters and various production equipments.

Q: What is the material of the main structure of your greenhouse? How long can it be guaranteed to be used?
A: The main frame of our greenhouse is generally made of hot-dip galvanized steel. This material has super corrosion resistance. Under normal circumstances, with proper daily maintenance, its service life can reach 15 - 20 years. It can resist common natural disasters such as wind, rain, and snow pressure, providing a stable growing environment for the crops in the greenhouse.

Q: Before placing a large order, we'd like to buy a sample greenhouse to try it out first. Is that possible?
A: Yes. We can send you a small-scale greenhouse by LCL (Less than Container Load) sea shipping.

Q: I have a piece of land and I want to grow some vegetables or raise some fish, but I don't know what kind of greenhouse and what size I need. Can you help me with the design?
A: Of course. You can tell us the size of your land, your expected annual output of vegetables or fish, as well as the local climate information. Based on these data, we can design the style, size and price of the greenhouse for you. We'll also let you know approximately how many workers are needed and how long it will take to complete the installation, and how much yield you can expect in a year.

Q: Do you provide planting technical guidance after I purchase the greenhouse?
A: We have a professional planting technology team. After you purchase the greenhouse, according to the crop varieties you plant, we will customize a detailed planting plan for you, covering all aspects such as sowing time, planting density, fertilization and watering frequency, and key points of pest and disease prevention and control. During the planting process, you can contact our technicians via phone, video, etc. at any time, and they will answer your questions promptly.

Q: How long will it take to receive the greenhouse after placing an order?
A: Generally, for standard-specification greenhouses, production, transportation, installation and commissioning can be completed within 20 - 30 days after you place the order and the deposit arrives. However, if you customize special specifications or configurations, or the quantity you purchase is relatively large, it may take about 40 - 60 days. We will give you an accurate time estimate when signing the contract.

Q: What kind of assistance can you provide during the greenhouse installation?
A: We will provide several ways to help you with the installation: First, we'll provide written installation instructions; second, we'll offer online installation guidance; third, we'll dispatch engineers to your construction site for on-site installation guidance; fourth, if there is our local agent, our agent can also help you with the installation service.

Q: What are the quick solutions when encountering pest and disease problems?
A: First, our technical team will help you accurately identify the types of pests and diseases, which is the key to taking the right countermeasures. Then, according to different pests and diseases, we will provide corresponding biological control, physical control or chemical control solutions. For example, for common pests like aphids, we recommend using physical control methods such as yellow sticky traps combined with biological control methods like releasing ladybugs, so as to minimize the use of chemical pesticides, which can protect the environment while effectively controlling pests and diseases.

Q: What preparations should I make before installation?
A: First, obtain the building permit from the government if required. Second, prepare the tools according to the tool list we send you. Third, get the workers ready. Fourth, prepare the power supply if needed. Fifth, prepare a place to store the goods upon arrival to keep them from getting wet in the rain.

Q: What does your greenhouse after-sales service include?
A: We provide a one-year free warranty service. During the warranty period, for any parts of the greenhouse with non-artificial damage or quality problems caused by natural disasters, we will replace or repair them for free. After one year, we still offer long-term paid maintenance services.