Water

Water

Maintenance of water quality parameters in optimal level is critical for successful aquaculture operations.It is essential to monitor pH, dissolved oxygen( DO) and the toxic metabolites like ammonia and nitrite which are critical for survival of aquatic animals. During the culture knowing the concentration of essential minerals like calcium and magnesium in pond waters help in avoiding unnecessary application of minerals and reducing the cost of production. Different kits have been developed for detection of these parameters in aquaculture ponds and related aquatic environment. Regular monitoring of this parameter in hatcheries and grow-out farms will help in taking up immediate measures of preventing the economic loss.

Water Quality Parameters for Fish Culture

Sr. No.	Parameters	Optimum range
1	Colour	Light green
2	Temperature	20 – 33 °C
3	Transparency	20 – 35 cm
4	Turbidity	< 20 ppm
5	pH	7 – 9 (Fresh Water) 8.3- 8.7 (Brackish Water)
6	Alkalinity	50 – 275 ppm
7	Hardness	50 – 250 ppm
8	Chloride	31 – 50 ppm
9	Dissolved Oxygen	5 – 10 ppm
10	Carbon Dioxide	< 3 ppm
11	Ammonia Nitrogen	< 1 ppm
12	Nitrite Nitrogen	< 0.5 ppm
13	Nitrate Nitrogen	1 – 5 ppm
14	Phosphate	0.3 – 5 ppm
15	Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)	< 10 ppm