The Performance of Water Quality in Tilapia Pond Using Dutch Bucket and Deep Flow Technique

Abstract

Water recirculation is one of the advantages of the aquaponics system, water from fish ponds flows to the plants then returned to the fish. The aquaponics system can improve the quality of pond water, thereby increasing the survival rate and growth of fish, which in turn can increase the productivity of fish farming. This study aimed at comparing two aquaponics methods, Deep Flow Technique (DFT) and the Dutch Bucket System (DBS), on their merits at improving pond water quality and tilapia survival rate. The two. The research method used was field experiments and each treatment had three replications and was observed for 30 days. The water quality parameters observed were temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, the amount of dissolved solids, NH3, and NO3 levels. The result of this study is that the water quality in DBS ponds is better than in DFT ponds. The survival rate of the fish receiving water filtered by DBS is 1% higher than the fish receiving water filtered by DFT. This showed that the existence of a biological filter in the form of plants and a mechanical filter in the DBS installation helped in improving water quality and the survival rate of tilapia.