Monitoring and assessing the physico-chemical water properties and planktonic communities in tilapia nursing pond

Abstract

Water samples were collected from three different size categories of tilapia nursing ponds for a period of 2 months from November to December, 2016. Among different water quality parameters only water level and temperature varied significantly. However all the water quality parameters were found to remain within suitable ranges for tilapia fry rearing. The study revealed a total of 61 genus of plankton. Among them 49 phytoplankton genus were identified with 26 belongs to Chlorophyceae, 12 to Bacillariophyceae, 9 to Cyanophyceae and 2 to Euglenophyceae. Whereas, 12 genera of zooplankton consisting 6 genera of Rotifera, 3 to Copepoda, 2 to Cladocera and 1 to crustacean larvae. However, the planktonic communities were also pond did not vary significantly throughout the study period. Total phytoplankton covered more that 70% of the planktonic community. Chlorophyceae comprised more than 44 % in all ponds followed by bacillariophycease, cyanophycease and euglenophyceae. On the other hand, Rotifera was dominant group among the zooplankton and varied significantly with the size and time. It can be concluded that the water quality parameters and planktonic abundance of nursery ponds found within optimum and suitable ranges.