2024, Vol. 7, Special Issue 6

author(s)
Varadaraju S, Dharshan KS, Praveen Joshi and Ganesh Prasad L

abstract
Aquaculture is the fastest growing food industry in the world. Dissolved Oxygen concentration is the most important and critical water quality parameter in fish culture because of its direct effect on the feed consumption and metabolism of aquatic animals as well as indirect influence on the water quality. Maintaining optimum dissolved oxygen levels is critical for fish growth and survival in aquaculture systems. This study investigates the influence of a fabricated three tier horizontal perforated tray aerator model on the growth of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in comparison to non-aerated tanks. Various growth parameters and water quality parameters were measured fortnightly. The dissolved oxygen content in the aerated tanks water was higher during the study period compared to non-aerated tanks water. There is not much variation in the water quality parameters both in the aerated tanks and non-aerated tanks, the same were within the permissible limit required for aquaculture. In the aerated tanks, the weight gain of the common carp was 4.03±0.233 g with the survival rate of 93.33±1.33% while in control tanks it was 3.2±0.152 g with the survival rate of 86.66±1.33%. The aerator effectively increased dissolved oxygen levels and maintained favourable water quality conditions. Results indicate that fish in aerated tanks exhibited significantly better growth performance and higher survival rates compared to non-aerated tanks. These findings underscore the importance of proper aeration in aquaculture systems for enhancing fish growth and productivity while ensuring optimum water quality ultimately increase the profit of the farmers.