Use of rice straw as a substrate for periphyton based aquaculture system | |
| Author | Shahabuddin, A. M. |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.AQ-06-25 |
| Subject(s) | Nile tilapia Fish ponds |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. AQ-06-25 |
| Abstract | This study was conducted to assess the effect of rice straw mat on the growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), pond water quality, periphyton, plankton, bacterial biofilm and benthos in fertilized earthen ponds. Experiment was conducted with different rice straw loading rates in fertilized earthen ponds (in 200 m2) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) during November to March 2006. There were total six treatments with three replicates: (1) Control (no rice straw Treatment 1); (2) Rice straw mats of 5x0.5 m (LxW) covering dikes (Treatment 2); (3) One rice straw mat of 5xl m (LxW) in water column with equal distance from the dike (Treatment 3); (4) Two rice straw mats of 5x 1 m (Lx W) in water column with equal distance from the dike (Treatment 4); (5) Three rice straw mats of 5xl m (LxW) in water column with equal distance from the dike (Treatment 5); (6) Four rice straw mats of 5xl m (LxW) in water column with equal distance from the dike (Treatment 6). All ponds were fertilized weekly with urea and triple super phosphate (TSP) at a rate of 28 kg N and 7 kg P/ha/week. In all the treatments sex reversed all-male Nile tilapia (mean weight, 24.74±2.98 g) were stocked at two fish per square meter thirty nine days after placing rice straw mats in the pond . Result showed that growth performance Nile tilapia was not significantly (P>0.05) different between treatments of rice straw with control (without rice straw), except Treatment 4 which had significantly lower weight gain and yield than the control. However, there was no significant difference in mean survival and yield among the treatments with different rice straw loading rates. Rice straw loading had no significant effect on the major water quality parameters, plankton, bacterial biofilm and benthos. Periphyton sample was collected only once during the first month of the study period, after that the structure supporting rice straw mat fallen down to bottom and therefore, it was not possible to collect the substrate sample to determine periphyton . . After placing rice straw mat in the pond dissolved oxygen went down in all the treatments (pre-stocking period). Eighty seven genera of phytoplankton were identified and dominated in the following order Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Euglenophyceae. Cyclotell, Microcystis and Euglena were the dominant among all genera. Twenty genera of zooplankton were identified among those Rotifera and Crustacean were the most dominant groups, whereas Brachionus and Nauplius were the dominant genera. Total plate count of bacteria in water did not significantly differ among the treatments, but the number declined at the end of the experiment. No significant different was found among the treatments in the number of benthos. Oligochaete was the dominant groups among different groups of benthos. The present experiment indicates that rice straw did not enhance growth and yield of Nile tilapia, and had no apparent effect on water quality, plankton community, bacterial growth and benthos. However, in the present study rice straw mat structure collapsed as rice straw fallen-off the frame in the early experimental period (15 days after stocking fish) and therefore, full potential of rice straw as a substrate for periphyton attachment might not have been realized. Further research would be required to asses the effect of rice straw loading in fertilized Nile tilapia pond with a firm mat structure. |
| Year | 2006 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. AQ-06-25 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AQ) |
| Chairperson(s) | Yi, Yang; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Yakupitiyage, Amararatne ;Bart, Amrit ;Thakur, Dhirendra Prasad ;Lin, Chang K wei ; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Government of the Netherlands ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2006 |