Tag alkalinity

Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration should have little effect on rising alkalinity concentration in aquaculture systems. Climate change is of greater concern in freshwater aquaculture than is an increase in alkalinity. 

Phytoplankton has several important effects on water quality, including removing ammonia nitrogen from water and absorbing nutrients from the water for its growth. Abundance of blue-green algae tends to increase as nutrient inputs in aquafeeds or fertilizers increase. 

Agricultural limestone is widely used to improve pH and alkalinity in aquaculture ponds. There is considerable use of lime in aquaculture to disinfect pond bottoms and water, to attempt to control pH, and various other reasons. 

Attention to pH, a numeric scale used to specify the acid or alkaline condition of an aqueous solution, is very important. Reducing biomass and feeding rates together with phytoplankton control and liming can often keep pH at desirable values. 

Total alkalinity is an important variable in water for aquaculture systems, and its concentration frequently fluctuates over time in many culture systems. 

Liming is an important management tool for preparing aquaculture ponds between and during production cycles. Several products are sometimes used in aquaculture for liming production ponds, including agricultural limestone, calcium silicate (CaSiO3) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). 

Proper monitoring of water quality in aquaculture production systems is critical to enable appropriate and timely management decisions. It requires reliable equipment, trained technicians that follow instructions and apply quality control measures, proper reagents and calibrated equipment, and appropriately collected water samples that are promptly analyzed. 

To start a biofilter together with a source of nitrifying bacteria, you must provide the conditions that will encourage the growth of the bacteria. The basic process requires initial preparation of water chemistry, adjustment of alkalinity to support bacterial growth and the addition of ammonia. 

The creation and application of reference tables for acceptable concentration ranges of physical and chemical water quality variables for culture organisms would be challenging due to the differing tolerances found among the many farmed species. 

The ideal pH for most aquaculture species is between 6.0 and 8.5. Lower pH values may result in decreased growth and survival, and greater susceptibility to disease. pH typically is lowest in the early morning, increases during the afternoon and declines at night. 

Farm trials compare new products or methods with practices in current use. Due to aquaculture’s inherent variability, multiple replicate treatments in experimental units that are as similar as possible are required. 

Troublesome turbidity in aquaculture pond water often results from clay or fine silt particles that remain suspended due to turbulence or sedimentation. 

Liming materials neutralize acidity and increase pH in pond bottom soil and water. They also react with carbon dioxide to form bicarbonate and release calcium and magnesium, increasing both alkalinity and hardness concentrations in water. 

Alkalinity is an index of the capacity of water to neutralize acidity. Hardness represents the sum of calcium and magnesium concentrations. Both values vary greatly in freshwater sources.