Effect of probiotic and sand filtration treatments on water quality and growth of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and pangas (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in earthen ponds of southern Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

Effects of water treatment by two probiotic products (PondPlus® and AquaPhoto®) and sand filtration were studied on growth performance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and pangas (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) stocked at tilapia:pangas ratio of 5:3 in traditional earthen ponds in Bangladesh. The fish were stocked at a density of 20,000 fish ha⁻¹ and reared for 7 months. Compared to untreated ponds, treatments of probiotic products or sand filtration in earthen ponds resulted in a higher O₂ content, higher water transparency, less ammonium, and fewer cyanobacteria. Weight gain for individual tilapia was lowest in the AquaPhoto-treated ponds (177 g), while similar gains (188–194 g) occurred in the other ponds. For pangas, the lowest weight gain (627 g) was obtained in the sand filter-treated ponds, as compared to 690–797 g in the other ponds. Thus, a general positive effect from the treatments on fish growth was not observed, possibly due to a reduced content of detritus (supplementary feed for both fish species) in the treated ponds.

KEYWORDS:

• Growth
• phytoplankton
• probiotics
• sand filtration
• water quality

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the company Novozymes for providing the PondPlus® product. We also wish to thank all members of the regional Community-Based Organization (CBO) for support in management of the ponds and help during data collection of water-quality parameters.

Funding

The authors would like to thank Regional Fisheries and Livestock Development Barisal Component (RFLDBC), and the BangFish project, both funded by DANIDA, for the financial support to conduct the research work.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank Regional Fisheries and Livestock Development Barisal Component (RFLDBC), and the BangFish project, both funded by DANIDA, for the financial support to conduct the research work.