UQAR – Three marine closed systems for wolfish culture.

Institution:	Université du Québec à Rimouski
Location:	Rimouski, Québec, CANADA
Contact:	Dr. Nathalie LEFRANÇOIS
Habitat:	Saltwater
Type of rearing unit:	UQAR – Three marine closed systems for wolfish culture.
Unit description:	Aquanit Biofilter (activated with salt water bacteria). Capacity of 2 kg food / day ; 16 polyethylene tanks of 17 liters (15 cm H x 41 cm L x 28 cm l) with lids; 99% recirculated water with thermoplastic pump (200 lpm); UV de 100 000 mW/cm2; Degassing column (air intake included) for CO2 removing; Air-cooled chiller controlled by electronic thermostat (+0.3°C) with titanium heat exchanger; Water temperature from 4 °C to 20 °C (room temperature at 20 °C). Electronic controller and monitoring system: 1 Enviro-monitron® with: 1 DO probe, 1 temperature probe, 1 flow detector; 1 Security package: 1 pressure relief valve, electrical components (pump starter, temperature controller) are housed in NEMA-4 boxes;
Mandate:	Conception Fabrication

UQAR – Three marine closed systems for wolfish culture.

• Each of the REBF units consists of sixteen opaque polyethylene tanks (15 cm H x 41 cm W x 28 cm l). Each of the four floors of a shelf has a decanter to recover the feces from the four self-cleaning basins that are installed there. The user will only have to open a quarter-turn valve in order to drain the decanter and thus collect the faeces;
• Each tank has its own water supply and variable overflow so that the water level can be changed;
• The water inlet in the tank is standardized using perforated PVC mesh (<4mm holes) inserted over the entire width of the tank. Two ribs located on the wall and at the outlet of the tank, allow to remove and clean a grid similar to that located at the entrance of the tank;
• An opaque polyethylene incubation basket (15 cm H x 25 cm W x 25 cm l) can be inserted into each of the breeding tank. These baskets have a bottom and a mesh side (perforated PVC with holes of <4mm). The circulation of water is from the bottom and comes out through the perforated side;
• Biological filters are inoculated with nitrifying saltwater bacteria before delivery. Biofilters can take up to 2 kg of feed / day. These biofilters work in fresh, brackish or saline water when inoculated with the appropriate bacterial strains;
• In order to optimize the working space, the tanks are arranged on five work levels (221cm H x 152 cm W x 61 cm l). This five-story shelf is made entirely of fiberglass and plastic.
• The physical filtration system, biological filtration and recirculation pump are installed on a plastic pallet located next to the work shelf, while the thermal control is located on the lowest floor of the shelf;
• Units can be dismantled for cleaning and disinfecting water pipes;
• Users have access to all four sides of the work shelf;
• A cartridge filter allows the extraction of all organic matter (faeces and non-ingested food) not recovered by the decanters;
• The cooling system for each unit (freon 22 with air cooling) allows to control the water temperature (4 to 20°C ± 0.3°C) as long as the temperature of the room is kept at 20°C or less. One of the units is equipped with a water heater to increase the water temperature by 2°C when the room is at 10°C;
• A set of mechanical elements of high quality (diversion valve) and electronic (temperature probes, flowmeters) can monitor or trigger alarms if necessary;
• The various units of REBF are assembled and tested at our factory before shipment for hydraulics, controls, circulation of water in the biofiltration circuit.