The temporal variation of ammonia and nitrite content in extensive ponds with tilapia

The accumulation of organic material in an extensive pond can cause accumulated ammonia and nitrite compounds, which can be toxic for aquaculture organisms, reducing the rates of fishery production. The purpose of this study was to determine the temporal variations of the levels of ammonia and nitrite in extensive ponds. This study used a survey method on three plots of extensive ponds, conducted every two weeks. Samples were analyzed using the IBM SPSS application with the One-Way ANOVA to determine whether there were differences in ammonia and nitrite levels among the measurement times. In addition to ammonia and nitrite contents, there were also some supporting parameters observed, namely dissolved oxygen concentration, temperature, pH and salinity. The measurement results showed that there were significant changes in ammonia levels (P<0.01), with values of 0.112-0.537 mg L^-1, and nitrite levels also presented significant differences (P<0.05), with values of 0.01-0.12 mg L^-1. The measurements of the supporting parameters during the study showed fluctuating results, with pH values between 8.4 and 9.4, temperatures between 31.95 and 35.63C, dissolved oxygen levels between 6.13 and 9.04 mg L^-1, and salinity values from 8.33 to 25.33 mg L^-1. There were temporal variations in ammonia and nitrite levels. Fluctuations in ammonia and nitrite levels in extensive ponds did not endanger the cultivation of organisms. The results of hemoglobin from fish cultivation showed that it was in normal levels.