Water Quality and Pond

Management

Nabin Babu Khanal

Principles of Aquaculture
Class 4, 5, 6 and 7

1
• The main water quality parameters
are1. Temperature
2. Dissolve oxygen
3. Turbidity
4. pH
5. Plaktons

Management practices includes feeding,

fertilization, liming, predator and weed
control.
2
 Temperature
• Temperature
• Water temperatures in the ponds are related to solar radiation
and
air temperatures. Water temperatures closely follow air
temperatures.
• The absorption of solar energy as light passes through water
heats
the water. Light energy is absorbed exponentially with depth so
most heat is absorbed within the upper layer of water.
• This is particularly true in fish ponds because high
concentrations
of dissolved organic matter and particulate matter greatly
increases
the absorption of energy as compared to less turbid water.
• The transfer of heat from upper to lower layer of water depends
largely upon mixing by wind.
3
 Thermal
stratification
• Thermal stratification refers to the horizontal separation of
a
relatively warmer surface layer of water from cooler bottom
waters. Stratification occurs when differentiation in density
of
upper and lower strata become so great that the two strata
cannot be mixed by wind.

Fig: Thermal stratification of fish pond

4
• The density of water is dependent upon water
temperature. Ponds and lakes may stratify thermally,
because heat is absorbed more rapidly near the
surface
of water body and the warm upper waters are less
dense than cool lower waters.

5
• The ordinary warm water fish pond
seldom has an average depth of more
than two meters and surface area of
more than few hectares. However,
marked thermal stratification may
develop even in very shallow ponds
because turbid condition result in rapid
heating of surface water in the calm
sunny days.
• Stratification prolongs for a season for
large lakes while pond stratify during
daylight hours in warm months and
destratify at night when the upper layer
of water cool by conduction.
• Heavy wind and disappearance of
heavy
plankton bloom may cause the
destratification.

6
 Diel fluctuation of temperature

Water temperature and fish growth

• Metabolism/biochemical reaction depends on
temperature. 10 0C increase in temperature roughly
doubles the metabolic rate until the maximum
value
is achieved.
Temp
• The metabolic
eratur
e
activity of fish, microorganism and
plants increased with increasing temperature which
demand for more feed and oxygen resulted into
faster
growth and more production of CO2.
• Rapid temperature difference of >5 0C causes fish
death.
Fig: Diel fluctuation of temperature in the pond
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8
Temperature management in fish
ponds
– Maintain the pond water depth (not less than
1m)
– Provide the temporary shade during the hot
months
– Exchange the pond water whenever required

9
 Dissolve Oxygen
(DO)
• Dissolved oxygen is the most critical water
quality parameter in aquaculture.
• It is essential to most aquatic organisms for
their
respiration.
• It is also necessary during the process of
decomposition.
• Growth rate and food conversion efficiency
will
suffer and feed will be wasted if fish suffered
from DO deficiency.
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• Oxygen solubility in water depends
on:1. Temperature;
Oxygen solubility decrease with increasing water
temperature.

100%
20
Saturati 100% DO Saturation
on 18
16
Lavel
14
12
10
8
6
4
2 0 5 10 1520 25 30 35
0 Temperature (C)

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2. Light intensity:
Oxygen solubility increase with increasing
light
intensity.
3. Water depth:
Amount of Sunlight Reaching Plants
Oxygen solubility increases with water
depth
and volume.

12
13
4. Atmospheric pressure:
Oxygen solubility increase with increasing
atmospheric pressure. The lower the
atmospheric pressure, the less oxygen can
be
held.
Atmosphere

Oxygen diffuses out of Oxygen diffuses into water

water column column

Oxygen > 100% Saturation Oxygen < 100% Saturation

Water Column
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5. Salinity: Oxygen solubility decrease with
Source
increasing and SinkThe
salinity. ofmore
oxygen
salinein the
the water,
the
pond
•less oxygen it can hold.
Sources
– Photosynthesis
6. Current Velocity: The faster water flows, the
– Diffusion
more atmospheric oxygen is mixed into the
water.
• Sinks
– Respiration
– Diffusion
– Decomposition

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• Photosynthesis
– Photosynthesis of phytoplankton is the
major
contributor of DO during the day.

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• Diffusion:
Atmosphere
– Atmospheric oxygen crosses
the air-water boundary and
dissolves in the water matrix.
The only way that oxygen can
be introduced from air to
water is by diffusion.
– In general, the rate of
diffusion of oxygen depends
primarily on the oxygen
deficit in water, the amount
of water surface exposed to
the air and the degree of
turbulence.
Water

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 Sinks of oxygen in the pods
• Respiration
– Respiration by fish, plants, Decomposer
organisms
(mainly bacteria) consume oxygen.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (in form of ATP)
{Carbohydrate + Oxygen  Carbon Dioxide + Water +
Energy}

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• Diffusion
– When the oxygen tension
• Decomposition: Decomposition of
in pond water exceed
(supersaturated) the
organic
oxygenutilize
matters tensionoxygen.
of
atmosphere, the oxygen
from the pond water
diffuse out to the
atmosphere.

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21
Diurnal Fluctuation of DO in the
Ponds

Fig: Diurnal fluctuation of DO in the pond 22

Fig: Diurnal fluctuation of DO in the fish pond during clear
and
overcast days.
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 Stratification
Dissolve Oxygen requirement of the
fish
• Epilimnion
Cold waterhas fishhigher DO concentration
species has less capacity
than
to
hypolimnion
extract oxygen from water than warm
water
species. So more DO ( 7 ppm) is needed
for
cold water fish culture than warm water
fish
culture (5 ppm).
• The DO requirement may differ according
to
growth
Fig: stage, season,
Temperature heat status
and DO stratification etc.
in tropical 24
25
ponds
 Dissolved Oxygen lacking conditions
in
ponds
• If biochemical oxygen demand (B.O.D.) of the pond
is
high, this is due to high organic load. Decaying plant
and animal matter consume substantial amounts of
oxygen in the decaying process.
• Cloudy day with little sunlight will reduce the
photosynthetic oxygen contribution to dissolved
oxygen resulting lacking DO in the pond.
• Unusually high temperatures will lower the solubility
of
oxygen in water and hence low dissolved oxygen.
• If too much fishes are stocked.

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27
 Sign ofMaintaining
low dissolve DO oxygen
in the in the
pondfish
ponds
• Direct improvement of DO in pond
• Piping: Fish come to the water surface
– Add oxygenated/ cool water
and– Stirring of pond water; using mechanical aerator, boating
etc.
gulp air bubbles
– Use chemical like potassiumvery frequently.
permanganate @ 1-2 ppm.
• Fish aggregate at the water inlet.
• Increase photosynthesis
• –Fish not feeding well of even stop
Increase sun light availability
feeding.
• Reduction of O2 requirements of fish,
– Thinning out of fishes
– Reducing/stop feeding

• Reduction decomposition
– Avoid over feeding
– Avoid over fertilization
– Liming
– Remove the pond bottom mud if it exceed above one
feet.
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• Preventive measure
– Avoid planting large tree on dike
– Avoid overstocking
– Avoid overfeeding
– Stop feeding and fertilization in cloudy and
rainy
days.

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 Turbidity
• Turbidity refers to the decreased ability of
water to transmit light caused by
suspended
particulate matter in the water column of
the
pond.

31
 Types of Turbidity
• Plankton turbidity:
– Turbidity caused by plankton generally is desirable in fish ponds.
– Troublesome underwater weeds are eliminated by plankton turbidity.
– Plankton blooms favor greater fish production by stimulating the
growth
of fish food organisms.
– It improves water quality by producing dissolved oxygen and removing
potentially toxic compounds such as ammonia.
– Excessive plankton turbidity may cause shading effect in the pond and
oxygen failure.

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• Clay turbidity:

Source of turbidity in the

– On the other hand, turbidity caused by clay particles is generally
undesirable because it keeps light from penetrating the water, and

pondss
light is required for algal growth.
– At very high concentrations, clay particles can also clog fish gills or
• External
smother fish source:
eggs. run-off, dike erosion,
– Turbidity also may be objectionable to pond owners from an
wind,
aesthetic
animals
standpoint.etc
– May develop off-flavour in fish
• Internal source:
– Resumption of particle due to fish or
water
movement
– Fecal material
– Feed, fertilization, lime etc.

33
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 Effects of turbidity
• Clay turbidity reduces the light penetration in the pond and
reduces photosynthesis causes low dissolve oxygen.
• Excessive plankton turbidity produce the shade on the lower
layer
of pond producing dead zone which may cause sudden oxygen
depletion in pond during night or cloudy/rainy day.
• Turbidity due to humic substances acidifies and sterilize the
water.
• Excessive turbidity may interfere gill function.
• Siltation reduces the pond depth.
• Clay turbidity reduces the light penetration in the fish pond
which
favor the growth of BGA (blue green algae). Some BGA are
responsible for the off-flavour of fish.

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 Turbidity Management in fish
pond
• Fertilization
– Low plankton- Increase fertilization
– High plankton- decrease/stop fertilization and
feeding.
• Remove some of the pond’s turbid water and add new
clear water
• Use alum @ 15-25mgL-1 for clay turbidity. Turbidity less
than 12 cm use the lower dose while less than 15 cm,
use
higher dose. The aluminum (Al3+) in the alum attracts the
negatively charged clay particle and flocculate settle
rapidly. In Low alkalinity pond add ½ part hydrated lime
for
every part of alum applied in order to maintain proper
pH.
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37
 pH
Secchi disc visibility and estimation of
fertilization and oxygen situation
• the pH is defined as negative logarithm of
hydrogen
Secchi ion(after
disc transparency concentration
3-4 days of and indicate
Interpretation
fertilization)
whether water is acidic or alkaline in
reaction
Less than 40 cm Too much plankton and fish are in danger
during the night when oxygen is not
and is measured on aproduced scaleby of 0-14. and when too
photosynthesis
much oxygen is consumed by the respiration
• Pure water has 0.0000001 mole per liter of
of this plankton.
free H+ and OH- ion.
•toFor
40 60 cmany aqueous solution, theand
The fertilization product [H+is] best
oxygen situation
[OH-] must equal to 10 -14 at 25 oC.
Resulting ambient fish production

More than 60 cm There is too little plankton and fish do not

have enough natural food to eat.

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 pH is negative logarithm of H+,
Thus,
H+ = 0.0000001 mole per liter
= 10-7
H+
Taking log on both sides,

Log (H ) + = Log (10-7)

Taking –ve on both side,

-Log (H+ ) = - Log (10-7)

-Log (H+) = - ( -7)

-Log (H+) =7
According to the definition of pH,
pH=7
Thus the pH of normal water is 7 which is called neutral,
above and below this is alkaline and acidic respectively.
Most natural water have pH values between 5 and 10,
with
the greatest frequency of values falling between 5 and 10,
with the greatest frequency of values falling between 6.5 40
and 9.
Different factors affect the pH of pond
water
• CO2
– Although carbon dioxide (CO2) is highly soluble in
water.
Carbon dioxide acts as an acid in water as shown
H 2O + CO2 = H2CO3
below:
H2CO3 = H+ + HCO3
– It usually assumed that carbon dioxide cannot
make
water more acid than pH 4.5. trace amount of
carbon
dioxide is present above pH 8.3 and below which no
carbonate occurs.

41
• Bicarbonate and carbonate
– Natural waters usually contain more bicarbonate. The carbon
dioxide in natural waters reacts with bases in the rocks and
soil
to form bicarbonate, as illustrate for alkaline earth
carbonates,
calcite
CaCO3 (CaCo 3).
+CO2 +H 2O = Ca2+ + 2HCO3
–
HCO3- + H+ = H2O + CO2
• Water with pH less than 4.5 contains a strong
mineral
acids like sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric acid.

• Optimum range of pH for aquacuculture is 6.8-

8.6.
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 Dial fluctuation
Averaging
of pH in
pond
pH 8pH 7
From the definition of pH, pH 7 and pH 8 means,
H+= 10-8H+= 10-7
H+= 0.00000001H+= 0.0000001
H+
Averaging H+= 0.00000001+0.0000001)/2

H+ = 0.000000055
-log (H+) = - log (0.000000055)
-log (H+) =7.259637311
From the definition of pH
pH
=7.25

Fig: Diel fluctuation in pH of pond water 43

44
Q= Calculate the average pH of pH 7.5 and pH 6.5.
 Effect of pH on fish

• Effect of low pH
– Reduce appetite
– Inhibit growth and reproduction
– Excessive production of mucus on the gills which interfere with
respiration
– More attack of parasites and disease
– Acid death (pH 4 and lower)

• Effect of high pH
– Damage cornea and lens of the eyes
– Disturb blood acid base balance
– Slow growth rate
– Alkaline death (pH 11 and higher)

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 pH management in the
ponds
• Liming of acidic pond
• Use carbonic fertilizer (compost),
nitrogenous
fertilizer (urea, ammonium sulphate),
gypsum
(calcium sulphate) in alkaline ponds.

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