MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL

RESOURCES

NAME: .......................... MABULO STEVE

ID ON: .......................... 201902339

COURSE: ...................... AQUACULTURE

LECTURER: .................. MR KAPANDA

Group ON: ........ .......... Six (5)

DEADLINE: ................... 12TH MAY 2023

Position of question: pond prep and management

QUESTION

Give a full account on how you would go about an aquaculture business or enterprise at medium
scale level producing tilapia if you are given a fish farm with 4 fish ponds each of size 600m2 in
Zambia.

POND PREPARATION AND MANAGEMENT

Having been given the four ponds already, this helps skip the process of site selection and pond
construction. However as a fish farmer who is aiming at making profit and produce quality fish
for the market the pond still have to be counter checked and examined for construction defects
that may hinder any progressive advancement. The counter checks include leakages, proper
drainage (inlet and outlet of water) and removal of any bushes or trees growing near by the pond
that might increase leakage as roots crack through the soil.

Pond preparation

Fish pond preparation is the basic and first step in productive fish farming. Pond preparation is to
be done intensively to enhance the fish production of the pond. Without proper preparation of the
pond as we start the fish culture technique it will create a huge problem and production will be of
poor quality. While the pond preparations before fingerings are put may be different for
different types of ponds some of the general preparatory steps are:

Clean the pond

Remove any debris or unwanted vegetation from the pond. Scrub the sides and bottom of the
pond to remove any accumulated sludge, algae, or dirt.

Conditioning the pond

Conditioning is done by application of a layer of lime or calcium hydroxide which is spread over
the bottom of the pond for two weeks. It is usually applied during or after the pond drying stage.
This removes the acidity of the soil, facilitates biogeochemical cycles and prevents unwanted
species. Liming can be done in three different ways which include broadcast over a dried pond
which includes the dike walls, mixing with water and spraying over the pond and by liming the
water flowing into the pond.
Manuring / fertilization

After 15 days of liming, manuring or fertilization is done in order to facilitate the growth of fish
food organisms such as phytoplankton and zooplankton. Manure can be of organic or chemical
nature. Use of chemical fertilizer depends upon the concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen in
the soil and varies accordingly.

Controlling harmful aquatic plants and animals

Aquatic weeds and insects both are very much harmful to fish farming in that as weeds consume
almost all nutrients and reduce the amount of oxygen. Their growth will be controlled efficiently
so that they cannot create any problem in the pond.

Addition of beneficial bacteria

Add beneficial bacteria to the pond to help establish a healthy biological environment. These
bacteria will help break down organic matter, such as fish waste and uneaten food, and convert
harmful toxins into less harmful forms. Of course this will only be added if the water used in
borehole water that may lack these organisms in adequate amounts but river water already has
these beneficial bacteria.

Addition of aquatic plants

In some cases depending on climate, some specific aquatic plants are added to mimic the natural
river condition the fish been reared likes. Aquatic plants provide oxygen, food, and shelter for
fish. They also help to absorb excess nutrients and improve water quality. Aquatic plants can
also help to absorb excess nutrients, which can contribute to turbidity. They can also help to
shade the water surface and reduce algae growth.

Acclimating the fish

Before introducing fish to the pond, they should be acclimated to the water temperature and pH.
This can be done by gradually adding small amounts of water from the pond to their transport
container over a period of several hours.
 Pond management

Pond management is another very crucial aspect to having a successful aquaculture business.
Effective pond management can help to reduce production costs, increase fish production, and
improve profitability. Proper management practices can also reduce the risk of fish mortality and
improve product quality, resulting in higher market value for the fish.

Pond management includes:

WATER QUALITY

Aquaculture pond management will ensures that water quality is maintained within acceptable
limits for fish and other aquatic organisms. Proper water quality management involves
monitoring and controlling pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (aeration), turbidity and other
parameters to prevent stress and disease in fish.

 MONITORING AND CONTROLLING PH

Monitoring and controlling the pH of a fish pond is an essential aspect of fish pond management.
Potential hydrogen (pH) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water, and it can affect fish
health, growth, and reproduction. The pH can thus be measured once a week but in our case
since the ponds are new in use it has to be done regularly using pH measuring kit.

Limiting carbon dioxide buildup is another important aspect to controlling pH. Carbon dioxide
can lower the pH of the water, especially at night when plants release carbon dioxide. To limit
carbon dioxide buildup will increasing water exchange, adding aeration.

 TEMPERATURE

Temperature testing and measurement in a fish pond is an important aspect of fish pond
management. Water temperature can affect fish behavior, growth, and reproduction just like any
other living organism would react to temperature outside its optimum range thus above or below
the fish’s optimum becomes hazardous to you the fish.
  DISSOLVED OXYGEN (Aeration)

Aeration is another important management practice in fish farming in that. Oxygen is required by
fish for breathing, and low oxygen levels can lead to stress, reduced growth, and even death thus
aeration ensures that there is adequate dissolved oxygen in the water for the fish to breathe. Thus
for our fish ponds using oxygen measurement kits will help determine when to aerate/ drain and
re-fill the water.

 TURBIDITY CONTROL

The cloudiness or clearness of pond water is what is referred to as turbidity pond water. This can
be as a result of too much phytoplankton, mud, or soils falling into the pond. In cases where
draining and re-filling the pond is hard to reduce turbidity like in rain season we will use gypsum
a pH neutral chemical that however helps to coagulated soil particles and other matter thus
reducing turbidity.

FISH HEALTH MONITORING

Fish health monitoring is an essential component of fish pond management to ensure that fish are
healthy and disease-free, if this is not done fish disease might abruptly start dying hence losing
on production.

The health of the fish can be monitored using several methods but sampling and visual
inspection are easier. For visual inspection include the fish's behavior, such as swimming
activity, feeding patterns, and abnormal behaviors such as lethargy or abnormal swimming
patterns. Signs of disease such as lesions, discoloration, or abnormal growths can also be
observed.

Sampling fish from the pond on a regular basis for pathogens can help to identify any diseases
present in the fish population quickly before it starts to increases the mortality rate. Then the
testing for any disease can be done through laboratory analysis or field tests.