Water Quality Measurement in Aquaculture and Fish Farming (Part 2)

Introduction

In Part 1, we looked at the effect of some water quality parameters on Aquaculture, the farming of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and aquatic plants. We briefly highlighted how these water quality parameters affect animal health, growth rates, and production efficiency.

In Part 1, we dealt with the importance of DO, Temperature, pH, Salinity and Ammonia to Aquaculture; Part 2 now deals with other critical water quality parameters such as Nitrite (and Nitrates), Turbidity, Carbondioxide, alkalinity, chlorine and ORP, and how they affect aquaculture.

Critical Water Quality Parameters to Monitor in Aquaculture (Continued)

In aquaculture, portable instruments are used to measure several critical water quality parameters to keep aquatic animals healthy and productive. Here are the main parameters typically measured with portable instruments:

6. Nitrite (NO₂⁻) and Nitrate (NO₃⁻)

• Nitrites and Nitrates are by-products of the nitrogen cycle.
• High nitrite in water is highly toxic and high nitrate can cause long- term health issues.

7. Turbidity

• Turbidity measures how clear water is.
• High turbidity can cause stress in fish, clog fish gills, and block light for aquatic plants.

8. Carbon Dioxide

• High Carbondioxide can lower blood pH in fish – this is called acidosis.
• The level of carbondioxide is important in aquaculture systems with high stocking densities.

9. Alkalinity

• Acts as a buffer against pH changes.
• Helps to neutralize acidity and stabilize water chemistry.

10. Chlorine

• This is very important when using treated tap water as a source of water for aquaculture.
• Chlorine is poisonous and even small amounts can be harmful to aquatic life.

11. ORP

• ORP is like a “health meter” for aquaculture water. It helps to quickly detect problems early (like dirty water, low oxygen, or bad bacteria) before they stress, harm or kill your animals.

It is very important that these parameters are regularly monitored, and remedial actions taken where and when necessary, to conserve the life of your aquatic animals, achieve optimal growth and good and profitable yields. Lack of proper monitoring of these parameters is one of the factors responsible for the low yields and/or subsequent business loss that some aquaculture farmers suffer.

The portable meters required to adequately monitor these critical water quality parameters are very robust, rugged and quite affordable. Their proper use might just be the difference between profitability and loss. Please feel free to reach us at aas@aasnig.com for further information.

CONCLUDED.

Reference: Taken from HORIBA Application Note on Aquaculture_Fishfarming

Article by Muyiwa Adebola

Email: Muyiwa@aasnig.com