Vol.
2 Issue-3, NOV 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
Importance Of Dissolved Oxygen In Aquaculture Pond
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Maloth Mohan, 2Arun Konduri, 3Mohan Swapna, 3Ramadassu
Srinivasulu Sravani, 4Chhoto Kisku
¹College of Fishery Science, Pebbair
2
ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai
3
College of Fishery Science, Muthukur, Andhra Pradesh
4
Faculty of Fishery Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal
ARTICLE ID: 004
Introduction
Dissolved oxygen refers to the level of free, non-compound oxygen present in water or other
liquids. Oxygen remains in water in dissolved form as dissolved oxygen (DO) Dissolved
oxygen (DO) concentration is the most important and critical water quality parameter because
of its direct effect on the feed consumption and metabolism of aquatic animals as well as
indirect influence on the water quality. Aquatic animals and organisms in water require oxygen
for respiration and other biological activities. One can expect that a decrease in the rate of the
oxygen production by phytoplankton may have catastrophic consequences for life on earth,
possibly resulting in mass extinction of organisms. Besides having capabilities to produce
oxygen, planktonic community also depends on the oxygen availability and its confounding
factors. Phytoplankton produces oxygen due to photosynthesis during the day, but consumes it
through respiration during the night.
Oxygen consumption by plankton is a function of DO levels that depends on
temperature. The DO of water increases with increasing atmospheric pressure while it
decreases as the temperature and salinity increases. In warm water with increasing temperature,
oxygen depletion may arise because of a simple physical property of water. The warmer the
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water, the less dissolved oxygen it can hold. Salinity is also an important factor in determining
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the amount of oxygen a body of water can hold; fresh water can absorb more oxygen than
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Vol.2 Issue-3, NOV 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
saltwater.
How Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is expressed ?
Dissolved oxygen concentration levels may be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts
per million (ppm). Dissolved oxygen saturation is expressed as a percentage.
Source of DO in aquatic environment
There are three main sources of oxygen in the aquatic
environment:
1. Direct diffusion from the atmosphere;
2. Wind and wave action; and
3. Photosynthesis.
The most significant of these is photosynthesis by
Figure 1: Dissolved oxygen concentration in
aquatic plants and phytoplankton. Photosynthesis ponds fluctuates on a 24-hour basis.
produces oxygen during the day when sunlight falls on Source: Ruth Francis-Floyd, 2011
the plants in the water. The respiration of plants and
animals, including fish, causes oxygen levels to fall at night. These regular changes in DO level
that occur every 24 hours are called the diurnal oxygen cycle. (Ruth Francis-Floyd, 2011)
Optimum Level:
Smaller fish use more oxygen per unit weight
than larger fish of the same species. Swingle
(1969) found that warm water fish in ponds
died after being exposed to less than 0.3
mg/L DO for a short period of time. A
minimum of 1.0 mg/L is required to maintain
life for many hours, while 1.5 mg/L is needed
to support fish over several days. Warm-
Figure 2: Modified After Swingle, 1969.
water species are often more tolerant of
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low D.O. concentrations. However, a DO level of 5 mg/L DO is regarded to be the bare
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minimum that must be maintained in order to achieve optimal fish growth in warm waters.
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Vol.2 Issue-3, NOV 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
Dissolved oxygen relation with water quality parameters:
Two water bodies that are both completely air-saturated may not always contain the same levels
of dissolved oxygen. Temperature, pressure, and salinity all influence the quantity of dissolved
oxygen (in mg/L). Dissolved oxygen has an inverse relationship with temperature and salinity,
and a direct relationship with partial pressure over the water. Also DO drops when air pressure
and humidity decrease.
Understanding Dissolved Oxygen and why does it is important in Aquaculture?
It’s common knowledge that oxygen is essential to terrestrial life, but it also plays a key role
in underwater ecosystems. Despite the fact that fish don’t have lungs, they still require asmall
amount of oxygen in order to breathe and carry out essential functions. They access the oxygen
they need to survive via the water around them, in a form known as dissolved oxygen, or DO.
Whereas plants that float on the water’s surface will release oxygen into the atmosphere,
aquatic plants, kelp, and algae that exist at lower depths have adapted to use a miniscule amount
of sunlight to conduct photosynthesis at greater depths. Oxygen is released into the water by
these deep-water organisms. It is also diffused into the water from the atmosphere at the water’s
surface.
The total amount of oxygen in the ocean and other natural water sources is much less than the
amount in the atmosphere and is typically measured in parts per million (ppm). Most fish
require DO levels of just 5 ppm or greater in order to survive. That said, larger fish need more
oxygen than smaller fish and DO levels can vary within a single aquatic environment based on
the volume and type of plant and animal species present. For example, the suitable DO level
for shrimp culture is 3 mg/l. However, values higher than 5 mg/l are recommended for intensive
aquaculture practices.
Although 5 ppm does not seem like much, the effects of DO depletion can be severe. Fish that
don’t have adequate oxygen resources are more prone to disease and infection, are less efficient
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at converting food into energy, and experience stunted growth. If oxygen levels fall below a
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certain threshold, they will eventually die. Extremely high levels of DO usually result from
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Vol.2 Issue-3, NOV 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
photosynthesis by a large amount of plants. Substantial uncontrolled plant growth, especially
algal bloom, is often the result of fertilizer runoff, and can also have an adverse effect on
aquaculture.
Causes of Low DO in Water
There are many causes of low DO levels in water. In aquaculture, the most common cause of
low DO is overstocking or overfeeding fish in an underwater enclosure or tank. Fish need
oxygen to process the food they eat into fuel, so more fish and more food inevitably means that
there’s more oxygen being consumed on a daily basis. If oxygen isn’t being adequately
replenished at the water’s surface or by photosynthesizing organisms, DO levels will tailspin.
For this reason, many aquaculture facilities will introduce photosynthesizing aquatic organisms
into a farming environment to help sustain adequate DO levels for larger fish populations.
Another common cause of depleted DO levels is zooplankton booms and
phytoplankton crashes. Whereas phytoplankton is a photosynthesizing species that creates
oxygen, zooplankton are respirating organisms that subsist largely on phytoplankton and are
known to increase rapidly during phytoplankton blooms. By consuming phytoplankton and
using DO to respirate and convert food into energy, an overpopulation of zooplankton can
cause a depletion in the amount of DO available to other organisms in the same aquatic
environment.
Phytoplankton crashes can be caused by other natural factors as well. For example, a sustained
lack of sunlight and wind due to clouds or other obstructions can inhibit photosynthesis, killing
off phytoplankton species and depleting DO levels.
DO levels can also be influenced by pH . Any changes to the pH value of water can affect how
much DO the water can hold and transport. As you attempt to uncover the reason for changes
in DO, take frequent pH readings to determine if the two metrics are connected.
The signs fish exhibit to low DO
• Loss of appetite
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•
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Lethargy
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• Gasping near the surface
• Fish facing into current of inlet or aerator
• Death of larger fish, followed by smaller fish.
Effects of low DO
• Stress increased susceptibility to disease.
• Poor feed conversion efficiency.
• Poor growth.
• Death of fish and other pond organisms.
Monitoring DO Levels
Aquaculturists and fish owners should monitor DO levels on a routine basis using a portable
or inline DO controllers, transmitters, or analyzers. By tracking changes in DO levels, you can
identify when DO is getting dangerously low and make adjustments to your aquatic
environment to increase the amount of oxygen present.
Increasing DO in Water
If your water quality monitor reveals low DO, there are varieties of things you can do to boost
DO levels in your aquatic environment.
They include:In a situation of low DO following can be done to manage DO level:
• Aerating the water more frequently or aggressively using artificial aeration devices.
• Spraying water across the surface of your enclosure or tank to increase surface-level
oxygen diffusion.
• Replacing the water in your environment with new water with a higher DO level.
• Introducing (controlled) photosynthesizing species into the environment to boost
oxygen creation.
• Limiting feeding to reduce the amount of oxygen used.
• Removing dead organisms and plants that are being aerobically decomposed.
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Pond design layout to increase DO in water naturally:
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Vol.2 Issue-3, NOV 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
In the design of pond layout, it is essential to consider maximal utilization of the natural
environment to maintain higher dissolved oxygen content in pond water such as:
• Orientation of the long axis of the pond with the prevailing wind.
• Construction of larger pond to allow a greater contact of water surface with atmospheric
air.
• Promote wind action on the pond in facilitating water movement and oxygen diffusion.
• Avoid planting of trees on dikes (Kungvankij et al. 1986)
Conclusion
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is one of the most important indicators of water quality in fish farming.
It is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. Oxygen dissolves in surface
water due to the aerating action of winds. When dissolved oxygen becomes too low, fish and
other aquatic organisms cannot survive. So farmers are suggested to maintain dissolved oxygen
optimum levels (3-5 ppm).In cloudy days or winter season dissolved oxygen fall down due to
lack of sunlight, in such cases farmers are advised to pump fresh water continuously or else
use aerators as recommended by the fishery experts.
Reference
• Boyd, C.E., Watten, B.J., 1989. Aeration systems in aquaculture. Rev. Aquat. Sci. 1,
425–472.
• Boyd, C.E., Teichert-Coddington, D., 1992. Relationship between wind speed and
reaeration in small aquaculture ponds. Aquac. Eng. 11, 121–131.
• Swingle, H.S. 1969. Methods of analysis for waters, organic matter and pond bottom
soilsused in fisheries research. Auburn, USA, Auburn University.
• Kungvankij, P., Chua, T. E., Pudadera Jr, B. J., Corre, K. G., Borlongan, E., Tiro Jr, L.
B., ... & Talean, G. A. (1986). Shrimp culture: pond design, operation and
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management.. http://www.fao.org/3/ac210e/AC210E09.htm
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Vol.2 Issue-3, NOV 2021 (e-ISSN: 2582-8223)
• Francis-Floyd, R. (2011). Dissolved oxygen for fish production. University of Florida
Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences,
EDIS.http://agrilife.org/fisheries2/files/2013/09/Dissolved-Oxygen-for-Fish-
Production1.pdf
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