COMPONENTS AND LAYOUT PLAN AND DESIGN OF POND SYSTEM

 Basic principle: Minimize the number of gates, and the size and length of the
main secondary and tertiary dikes and canals, but not to sacrifice the biological
requirements for suitable environment of the cultured species.
 Fishponds should be planned in such a way that the length of the pond is
positioned parallel to the prevailing wind direction
o the length of the dike exposed to wave action is lessened, thus the cost of
repairs also less
o also takes advantage of the wind energy in affecting good water aeration
through mixing and circulation
o if very strong wind are prevalent, wind breakers and included in the
design and layout of ponds.
 Fish farms are located at convenient distance from the sea or river for ecological
consideration and physical protection against flooding and wave action.
o At least 100m from the sea to the main perimeter of the dike
o 20m along river banks

The designing criteria should be based on the following:

1. Planned management method – The establishment and structure should create
an environment in which the production of aquatic animals and plants can be
improved in quantity and quality
2. Biological consideration – Clarification of the environmental conditions best
suited to the growth of the species chosen.
3. General features of the land area- Flood and typhoon hazards, area contours
and other geographical features must be considered by the management.
4. Economics and administrative requirements – consider the economics and
administrative requirements from the engineering point of view.

The design or layout of the system begins with reproduced copies of the topographic
map. Usually two or more design alternatives are prepared; from these the most
efficient or the best is selected.

To attain the best design, pond compartments (size, shape, and pond depth) and
location of water supply and drainage facilities should be considered carefully.
Types of pond compartments:
1. Fry acclimatization pond – (fry box), usually 4 to 8 m 2. Fr by just cutting open
the small dike partition are first stocked in this pond for 1 to 4 days and then
allowed passage to the nursery pond proper
2. Nursery pond – (small in size), 1 to 4% of the total production area.
Manageable area ranges from 500 to 10,000 m2 per compartment, although
1000 to 5000 m2 is preferred.
 This is used for rearing the fry for at least 30 days (milkfish) before
transferring into another larger pond.
 Nursery pond should be located in elevated portion of the farm in the
central or near the corner of the rearing pond compartment. The post
suitable place is where it can be easily drained even during ordinary
low tides.
 Avoid locating nursery ponds directly adjacent to perimeter dikes.
Crab holes will serve as exits of fry from the nursery pond to the river.
These can also serve as entrance for predators and unwanted
species, further loss of stock.
3. Transition pond (holding or stunting pond) – located adjacent to the nursery
pond in order to have efficient and quick transfer of fingerlings. The
fingerlings or post fingerlings area reared here for varying periods before
finally stocking them in the production or rearing ponds. Preferred area is
from 5000 to 15000 m2.
4. Production or rearing pond (grow-out pond)- The largest compartment in the
pond system occupying about 80% of the total farm area.
 Bottom elevation of the rearing pond should be about 0.2 m lower
than that of transition pond but slightly higher than the Mean Lower
Low Water (MLLW) or zero tidal datum.
 The pond bottom slopes toward the catching pond to facilitate
harvesting of marketable sized fish.
 Manageable size ranges from 2.0 to 5.0 ha is preferred
5. Catching pond – serves as concentration area or basin for the fish during
harvest. It is constructed adjacent to the gate inside a bigger pond
compartment.
 Catching pond may be provided also for nursery and transition ponds.
The catching pond for the nursery and transition pond is usually about
2& of the respective compartments’ water surface area; for rearing
pond, it is usually 1-1.5%.
6. Food growing pond (kitchen pond)– (optional or built if necessary). It is a
compartment set aside for growing live food organisms at high density. This
is intended to augment the availability of food in fishpond areas where natural
food organisms does not grow well or in farm set-up where high density
stocking if cultured fish is used.
 A. Freshwater Ponds
I. Classification according to source of water supply
i. Embankment type of pond (earthen dam) – An embankment pond
is made by building an embankment or dam across a stream or
watercourse which is depressed enough to permit the storing of
water for along period of time. The land slope of the surrounding
areas may range from gentle to steep.
a. Earthen Dam Design
a.1 Water storage requirements
This will depend on the water needs, evaporation
seepage into the soil and through the dam, storage
allowed for sedimentation, and the amount of carry
over from one year to next year.
For fish production – water storage depth should be
2 meters or more.
Approximate value of evapo-transpiration ranges
from 4 to 6 mm/day during the wet season; and 5 to
8 mm/day during the dry season.
Percolation rate – will vary from 1.0 mm/day for
clayey soil to 50 mm/day for non-clayey soil.
a.2 Flood storage depth
The depth of the water measured from the crest of
the trickle spillway (normal water level) to the
bottom of the flood spillway is for storage of flood
water. This storage is provided so that the flood
spillway will not carry the runoff from ordinary
storms.
Table 1. Flood storage depth for farm (cm)
(Q25) Water surface at Normal Water Level (m2)
Peak runoff rate once in 25
2,000 4,000 8,000 12,000 20,000
years (m3/sec)
0.425 or less 30 30 - - -
0.425-0.708 46 30 15 - -
0.708-0.992 61 46 30 15 -
0.992-1.275 76 61 30 15 15
1.275-1.700 91 61 46 30 30
1.700-2.267 - 76 61 46 30
2.267-2.834 - - 76 61 46
 a.3 Freeboard
A freeboard is necessary to assure that the
floodwater does not go over the dam. It is usually
0.60 meter, which is the depth from the bottom of
the flood spillway to the top of the dam. Where the
dam height is over 4.50 meters and the length of
water surface is more than 122 meters, the
freeboard should be increased.
Side slope – for a dam less than 15 meters in
height with average soil, the side slope should not
be steeper than 3:1 (horizontal to vertical) on the
upstream side and 2:1 on the downstream side.
For course or uncompacted soils, the side slope
should be flatter to assure stability. Upstream side
slopes should be flatter than those on the
downstream side because saturated soil is less
stable that the unsaturated soil on the downstream
slope.
Top width – The minimum top width for dams up to
3.0 meters in height should be about 1.80 meters.
The width should be increased about 0.15 meter for
each additional 0.30 meter of dam height.
Roadway: should be increased to 3.60 meters to
provide 0.60 meter shoulder for safety.
Settlement allowance- Earth fills compacted in thin
layers of optimum moisture content on an
unyielding foundation will settle to less than 1%.
Since conditions are not usually met, an allowance
of 5-10% of the settled height should be added to
the top of the fill during construction.

Table 4. Recommended minimum top width for earth embankment of various heights
Height of dam (m) Width of dam (m)
Less than 3 1.80
3.35-4.25 2.40
4.60-5.80 3.00
6.00-7.30 3.65
7.60-10.35 4.25
 b. Trickle Spillway
This spillway is a pipe or other permanent –type structure
through the dam that will maintain the usual water level at
the elevation of the entrance opening and will carry a small
flow to a safe outlet below the dam
The size of the trickle spillway should be large enough to
carry the long duration flow. Any durable materials (steel,
corrugated metal, asbestos, cement or concrete) that cannot
be damaged by settling heavy loads is suitable for the trickle
spillway.
Because of low water head, anti-seep collars are not
required usually for dams less than 4.50 meters in height.
Table 3. Trickle spillway diameter (cm)
(Q25) Water surface at Normal Water Level (m2)
Peak runoff rate once in 25
2,000 4,000 8,000 12,000 20,000
years (m3/sec)
0.425 or less 15 15 - - -
0.425-0.708 20 15 15 - -
0.708-0.992 20 20 15 15 -
0.992-1.275 25 25 20 15 15
1.275-1.700 25 25 25 20 15
1.700-2.267 - 30 25 25 20
2.267-2.834 - 30 30 30 25

Pipe spillway- this structure may vary from a simple culvert

under a road to a pipe through an earth embankment with
various types of inlet. Pipe-spillway conduit may be round,
square, rectangular or arched-shaped in cross section.
For small-sized pipes which are typical in most farm ponds,
the hooded inlet is common because of simpler construction
and lesser cost.

c. Water pipe and drain

Use steel or PVC pipe 0.30 m diameter is
recommended. Usually tqo 0.60 meter by o.60 meter
anti-seep collars are sufficient because of better
compaction around a small pipe
d. Flood spillway – All ponds filled by direct surface runoff from
the watershed should have a flood (emergency spillway to
avoid flooding of the pond.
  Design capacity – peak runoff of 25 year return period storm.
 Trapezoidal cross section w/ a minimum bottom width= 2.45 meters
 The upper end of the spillway around the end of the dam should have
a slope= 0.5 %
 Width – using Weir formula: (assuming flow depth of one foot or 0.30
meter)

Where: Q25 = runoff rate for 25 year return period storm

W = bottom width in feet
 Upper entrance to the flood spillway should be flared out at a 45-
degree angle
 Lower end of the spillway has a much steeper slope, depending on
the topography.

ii. Excavated type of pond – Common fishponds in culturing bangus

or tilapia. They are located in flat land area and are constructed by
digging through manual or mechanical labor. Its water holding
capacity is obtained most entirely by excavation.

a. Planning the fish farm

b. Size of pond system
c. Division of pond system
d. Water supply and drainage
e. Size of ponds
f. Shape of ponds
g. Depth of pond water

II. According to use

i. Reservoir
a. Size
b. Depth
ii. Grow-out ponds
a. Size
 b. Depth
iii. Hatchery ponds
a. Size
b. Depth
B. Coastal fish farms