AFA 4a (Aquaculture)

Credit : 3 Units

LINA B. PEPITO, LPT, MS BioSc

Special Lecturer

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Monitoring of soil and water quality
conditions can be valuable in
aquaculture pond management
(Boyd, 2002)

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

WATER PARAMETERS
 Water is a common substance that life
cannot exist without water. water is a mor
component of living things;
 human are about 2/3 water
 most other animals contain equal or even
greater proportions.
 woody plants are at least 50% water, and
the water content of herbaceous plants
usually is 80-90%.
 Bacteria and other microorganism UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
WATER PARAMETERS

 water is important physiologically. It plays

an essential role in temperature control
organisms.
 water is important ecologically for it is the
medium in which many organisms live.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

 water quality refers to the suitability of water for a
particular purpose.
 water quality standards have been developed to serve
as guidelines for selecting water supplies for various
activities or for protecting water bodies from pollution.
 water quality effects the survival and growth of plants
and animals in aquatic ecosystems.
 water often deteriorates in quality as a result of its use
by humans, and much of the water used for domestic,
industrial, or agricultural purpose is discharged into
the natural bodies of water.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
 in most countries, attempts are made to maintain the
quality of natural waters within limits suitable for fish
and other aquatic life.

 Aquaculture, the farming oof aquatic plants and

animals, sow supplies about half of the world’s
fisheries production for human consumption,
because the capture fisheries have been exploited
to the sustainable limit.

 water quality is critical issue in cultivation of aquatic

organism. UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
Water quality is a critical factor when
culturing any aquatic organism. Optimal
water quality varies by species and must be
monitored to ensure growth and survival. The
quality of water in the Production systems
can be significantly affect the organism’s
health and the costs associated with getting a
product to the market.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

The water parameters that are commoonly
monitored in the aquaculture industry
includes:
1. Temperature
2. Dissolved oxygen
3. pH
4. Alkalinity
5. Hardness
6. Ammonia
7. Nitrites
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
 Some parameters such as alkalinity and
hardness are fairly stable, but others like
dissolved oxygen and pH fluctuate daily. It
is important to establiish a standardized
water quality testing protocol for your
particular situation. The chart below
indicates the water quality preferences for
some commonly cultured species.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Water Quality Tolerance by Species
Species Temp Dissolved pH Alkalinity Ammonia Nitrite
o
F Oxygen mg/L % mg/L
(mg/L
Baitfish 60-75 4-10 6-8 50-250 0-O.03 0-0.6
Catfish/Carp 65-80 3-10 6-8 50-250 0-0.03 0-0.6
Hybrid Striped 70-85 4-10 6-8 50-250 0-0.03 0-0.6
Bass
Perch/Walleye 50-65 5-10 6-8 50-250 0-0.03 0-0.6

Salmon/Trout 45-68 5-12 6-8 50-250 0-0.03 0-0.6

Tilapia 75-94 3-10 6-8 50-250 0-0.03 0-0.6

Tropical 68-84 4-10 6-8 50-250 0-0.03 0-0.6

Ornamentals

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Temperature
 The water temperature of water is a measure of
its internal, thermal energy content. It is a
property that can be sensed and measured
directly with a thermometer. Heat content
usually is considered as the amount of energy
above that held by liquid water at 0oC. It is a
function of temperature and volume.
 water temperature is related to solar radiation and
air temperature. water temperature closely
follows air temperature in ponds, small lakes, and
streams. UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
Temperature
 water temperature usually are quite predictable by
season and location.
 thus, water temperatures vary with season even
in the tropics, but the variation is less than in the
temperature zone.
 Air temperatures at a gven locality may deviate
from normal for a particular period causing
deviation in water temperature

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Temperature
 All biological and chemical processes in an
aquaculture operation are influenced by
temperature. Fish adjust their body temperature
and metabolic rate . Each species has a preferred
or temperature range where it grows best. At
above or below optimum, fish growth is reduced.
 Mortalities may occur at extreme temperatures.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Temperature
 Temperature influence all metabolic and physiological
activities and life processes such feeding, reproduction,
movement and distribution of aquatic organisms.
 temperature also affects the speed of chemical changes
in soil and water. The oxygen content of water
descreases with rise in temperature.
 Most of the tropic fish can’t survive below 10oC. Tilapia
can’t survive below 8oC.
 Indian major carps are able to tolerate a wide range of
temperature (20 to 30oC), below 160C and above 40oC
prove fatal to them. Many exotic species can’t survive
at higher temperature.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
Turbidity
 Turbidity of water. Amount of suspended organic and
inorganic matter.
 turbidity and transparency are both optical properties of
light
 Suspended particles causing turbidity may also adsorb
considerable amount of nutrients elements like
phosphate, K, N2 in their ionic form and making them
unavailable for plankton production.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Dissolved oxygen

Source of Oxygen
 absorption from air at the water surface
 Photosynthesis of chlorophyll bearing organism
inhabiting pond.

Consumption of Oxygen
 Respiration of aquatic animals and plants in day and
night
 decomposition of organic matter.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

 value of DO depends on temperature, partial
pressure of O2 and water salinity, photosynthetic
activity.
 When temperature increases dissolved oxygen
decreases.
 when partial pressure of Oxygen in contact with
water at the surface increases amount of O2
dissolved in water is also increases.
 When concentrated of dissolved slats (salinity)
increases dissolved O2 concentration decreases. At
0oC, freshwater contains slightly over 2.0mg/l O2
than seawater (35% salinity).
 Since O2 is a byproduct of the photosynthesis, it
increase with the increase in the rate Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd of
To Mitigate the oxygen deficiency
Direct ways or Physical Methods:
 Beating by sick on all sides of ponds
 Use Aerator
 Introduce fresh oxygenated water from other areas to pond.
 pumping of water by water pump
Chemical methods:
1. Apply lime @ 60-70 kg//ha
2. Apply KMnO4 @ 4 Kg/ha

Oxygen deficiency in lakes and river cause migration of

fish, attack of parasites, fungus diseases and death due to
suffocation.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

pH levels
 The pH is the measure of the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration in soil
or water.
 The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with a pH of 7 being neutral. A pH
betw 7 is acidic and an pH above 7 is basic. A favorable pH range is
between 6.5 and 9 (optimum 7.5-86) however this will alter slightly
depending on the culture species.
 The pH in ponds will rise during the day as phytoplankton and other
aquatic plants remove CO2 from the water during photosynthesis.
 The pH descreases at night because of respiration and production of
CO2 by all organisms.
 Signs of sub-optimal pH include increases mucus on the gill surfaces
of fish, damage to the eye lens, abnormal swimming behavior, fin
fray, poor phytoplankton and zooplankton growth and can even
cause death.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

Fig. 1. Diurnal fuctuation of pH will occur due to the amount of aquatic life wwithin a
pond. with higher algae concentrations, more CO2 is removed from the system and
hence pH levels will rise. The reverse will occur at night when more CO2 is produced
therefore leading to drop in pH levels.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
Biological Characteristics

 Biological characteristics of an aquaculture ponds refers to

the aquatic organisms that live within the pond. This
includes both plants and animals.
 The relationship between aquatic plants and animals is
known as a trophic level or a food chain
 Bacteria forrm the base of the food chain within an
aquacultre pond.
 bacteria break down organic matter to produce nutrients
such as phosphorous and nitrogen, carbon dioxide (CO2.
 These products are then utilized by phytoplankton,
microscopic algae to produce oxygen via photosynthesis.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
Biological Characteristics

 Oxygen and phytoplankton are then consumed by the

zooplankton which are tiny aquatic organisms.
 Fish then feed on zooplankton as well as large aquatic plants
and supplementary food that may be added to the
aquaculture ponds.
 Uneaten supplementary feed, dead aquatic organisms
(including planktonic organisms and aquaculture species)
and animal wastes will settle on the pond floor.
 Bacteria will feed on this decaying organic matter and the
cycle will commerce again.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
 Sunglight solar Energy Bacteria
Nutrients and CO2
Phyotoplankton
oxygen
Zooplankton

Fish and cryfish

decaying organic matter

Fig 2. Trophic levels within an aquaculture pond.

UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.

 Successful pond culture operations mainly
depend on maintenance of a healthy aquatic
environment and production of sufficient fish food
organisms in ponds.
 Physical, chemical and biological factors play an
important role in governing the production in the
pond.
 If the water quality is maintained with utmost care,
the occurrence of many fish diseases can also be
prevented.
 a healthy water is a boon to fish culture.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.
UEP, COEd-BTLEd Dept.