Appropriate Water Quality Management for Fish Farming

Because of their distinctive gills and fins, fish need a certain kind of aquatic habitat in order to grow and thrive. The maintenance of water quality is essential to the health of fish in aquaculture systems.

This page discusses dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, ammonia, nitrite, hydrogen sulfide, pH, and total alkalinity, among other factors of managing water quality. It also discusses bottom soil management issues in order to keep an aquatic environment suitable for fish farming.

Water Quality Management

1. Dissolved Oxygen:

Fish production depends on maintaining an ideal level of dissolved oxygen, with a suggested value of 5 mg/l. There are several aeration techniques that can be used to address oxygen deprivation, including:

Manual technique:

splattering the water’s surface with bamboo sticks to encourage the breakdown of oxygen.

Mechanical approach:

putting water through a diesel water pump to distribute it throughout the body of water and promote the breakdown of atmospheric oxygen.

Method of Aerators:

using floating apparatuses that include mechanically spinning blades to stir the water and encourage the creation of oxygen.

Read also:TIPS ON HOW TO START AN INDOOR FISH FARMING BUSINESS

2. The ambient temperature:

The aquatic habitat is greatly influenced by temperature. For cold water, the suggested temperature is between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius, while for warm water, it is between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. By creating shade, planting trees along pond banks helps to lessen stratification. The process of photosynthesis and wind mixing also contribute to the optimal conditions.

3. Turbidity:

The term “turbidity” describes a fluid’s cloudiness or haziness, which is brought on by invisible particles. Using a Secchi disk, turbidity measurement is an essential test for determining the quality of water. When it comes to turbidity, 40–60 cm is the ideal visibility range. Turbidity can be effectively controlled by applying 500–1000 kg/ha of organic manure, 250–500 kg of gypsum, or 25–50 kg of alum.

4. Ammonia

Fish are often poisoned by ammonia. The following techniques can be used to keep ionized ammonia concentrations for fish safe (0.02-0.05 mg):

• Don’t over feed.
• Control liming to avoid going overboard.
• To get rid of ammonia in the fish pond, use formalin.
• Use water exchange to lower the levels of ammonia.
• Because aeration lowers pH, toxicity is decreased.

5. Nitrate:

Adherence to proper feeding, fertilization, and stocking density techniques is necessary to maintain appropriate nitrite levels in the water. Additional nitrite management methods include keeping well-oxygenated ponds and bio filtration using specialized filters.

6. Sulfur Dioxide:

Fish are stressed by hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous substance that accumulates as a thick organic deposit on the bottom of ponds.

7. pH level:

According to the concentration of hydrogen ions, pH describes how basic or acidic water is. This is a summary of the pH scale range for water quality: When the pH is between 4 and 6, growth slows down, and it hits the acid death point at 4. The pH scale

ideal for expansion. However, growth is once more slowed down at pH values between 9 and 11. An alkaline death point is indicated by any pH value higher than 11.

8. Alkalinity Total:

The concentration of bases in water and its ability to withstand acidity are referred to as total alkalinity. The optimal range of carbonates and bicarbonates for fish is 75-300 mg/l. These are the major bases. Lime therapy is one way to raise low alkalinity.

9. Total Hardness:

Pond production is impacted by water hardness, which is mostly determined by calcium and magnesium. Fish can become stressed at levels below 60 mg/l, whereas above 60 mg/l increases production. Lime treatment can be used to remedy low hardness. Management of Bottom Soil.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, maintaining water quality is essential to a profitable fish farming industry. Fish farmers can establish an environment that is favorable for the growth, health, and production of their fish stock by addressing important elements such temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrite, hydrogen sulfide, pH, total alkalinity, and bottom soil conditions. Adopting suitable management techniques guarantees the best outcomes and adds to the general prosperity of aquaculture activities.