Phytoremediation by Echinodorus palaefolius to Reduce Nitrogen and Phosphate Waste of Intensive Culture Anguilla bicolor in Recirculation Aquaculture Systems

Abstract

Increase in aquaculture activities leads to a negative impact on the environment. Thus, phytoremediation through recirculation aquaculture system becomes one effort that can be applied. The study aimed to evaluate the administration of Echinodorus palaefolius (water jasmine plant) through increasing the capacity of plants as phytoremediators in reducing the waste of intensive culture eel. This study used a completely randomized design with three treatments of E. palaefolius density and repeated 3 times, as treatments were 1.04 g L-1(Ep1), 2.08 g L-1(Ep2), and 3.13 g L-1(Ep3). The initial average eel weight was 8.3 ± 0.13 g, with a stocking density of 4 g L-1. The results showed a significant difference in the effect of E. palaefolius density on nutrient removal efficiency, as well as performance on eel and plant growth. The highest efficiency of nutrient removal in E. palaefolius with a density of 2.08 g L-1, nitrite (49.65 ± 4.52) %, nitrate (59.62 ± 1.89) %, phosphate (60.88 ± 1. 03) %, and TAN (46.03 ± 0.63) %. At E. palaefolius density 2.08 g L-1 produced eel specific growth rates (0.99 ± 0.02) % lowest feed conversion (1.97 ± 0.03), and highest increase of E. palaefolius biomass (262, 33 ± 2.60 g with daily growth 4.37 ± 0.43 g day-1). Thus, it can be concluded that the density of E. palaefolius 2.08 g L-1 produces the best efficiency in removing nutrients, the growth performance of eels and plants.