International Journal of Aquaculture, 2018, Vol.8, No.19, 145-150
149
Based on the Table 1, phosphate and ammonia are derived from the fish feed or fecal. This can be clearly reflected
by comparing all the tanks with fishes to the planted tanks (hydroponic). The complicated interactions of
environmental parameters between the feeding and water quality in aquaculture such as temperature, dissolved
oxygen, pH and salinity has an impact on feeding metabolism and growth of cultured species (Gabriel et al., 2007).
However, the accumulation of uneaten fish feed can lead to the releasing of potentially harmful organic and
inorganic materials which will causes fish death and pollution (Akinrotimi et al., 2007). High protein diet lead to
high nitrogen excretion which is toxic to both of fish and water. In fact, higher faecal nitrogen and phosphorus
loss at higher protein intake in fish. Uneaten fish feed, one of the main source of pollution, was lost in the tank
sediments through the process of mineralization (Xu et al., 2007). Besides, abundance of nutrient loading induced
by fish feed encourages bacterial growth, making water slimy, emanating offensive odours and causes water
quality impaired. Improvements in feed quality and feeding techniques can result in reduction of nitrogen
pollution from aquaculture. The use of high energy diets in fish can increase the utilization of nutrients and helps
reducing the solid waste and nutrient load in the water (Akinrotimi et al., 2007).
According to Boyd et al. (1998), only 10-30% of phosphorus and 20-40% of nitrogen applied in feed is retained
by the fish, thus lowering the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in feed formulation can reduce the water
pollution in aquaculture. A sustainable, environmental friendly aqua feed with low pollution potential has now
become the prime consideration among the feed manufacturing industries (Akinrotimi et al., 2007).
Aquaponic, with the combination of aquacultures with agricultures, could enhance the nutrient and water
utilization efficiency and overall environmental sustainability. Besides, implementation of aquaponic system has
been proved as an excellent method for recycling phosphorus by maximizing the phosphorus removal efficiency
and enhancing nutrient utilization by fish and plants while yielding a high quality crop (Cerozi and Fitzsimmons,
2017).
4 Conclusion
Determine concentration of phosphate, ammonia and chlorine in water samples are important as high level of
these pollutants concentration can cause lethal effect on organism living in the water. In conclusion, phosphate
and ammonia levels that contributed mainly from fish feed and fecal, are within the acceptable range. In order to
maintain a sustainable aquaculture, sustainable farming methods should be encouraged to avoid overuse of fish
feed and indirectly influx the nutrients into the water bodies. High levels of ammonia are highly toxic in tanks
however low concentration can cause stress on fish which make them vulnerable to disease. High levels of
phosphates do not directly harm to fish but it can cause nutrient pollution which can deplete the oxygen level in
the water. Presence of chlorine in high volume can cause casualty in fishes as well as plants growing from the
aquaponic system. The quantity of chlorine in the water source used must be determined to determine whether
steps to eliminate chlorine from the water source are necessary or otherwise. This will indirectly affect the
sustainability of the system through cost and managing. Thus, it is important to identify sources and types of
pollutants in aquaculture system in order to achieve a sustainable system which benefits all.
Authors’ contributions
LHL did work of data collection, system design, manuscript writing; LZLR did work of data collection, manuscript writing; YTS did
work of preliminary testing, manuscript writing; SST did work of System design, Experiment design. All authors read and approved
the final manuscript.
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the Faculty of Applied Science, UCSI University.
References
Akinrotimi O.A., Gabriel U.U., Owhanda N.K., Onunkwo D.N., Opara J.Y., Anyanwu P.E., and Cliffe P.T., 2007, Formulating an environmental friendly fish
feed for sustainable Aquaculture Delelopment in Nigeria, Agricultural Journal, 2(5): 606-612
Boyd C.E., and Tucker C.S., 1998, Pond Aquaculture Water Quality Management, London: Springer Science & Business Media, 1-153
