Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFICACY OF SPLIT DOSE APPLICATION IN THE MASS CULTURE OF CLADOCERANS USING DOMESTIC SEWAGE

V.P. Saini, M.C.Gupta, L.L. Sharma and M.L. Ojha

Abstract

Feasibility of using split doses of domestic sewage in aquaculture has been assessed in 15 liters static waters which received 50 per cent dose of domestic sewage (screened through preliminary studies) in single (50%) and split doses (i.e. @ 2.32% on initial day and subsequently @ 1.66 per cent each day.) Each of these treatments was inoculated with four (4) brooders of cladocerans for their multiplication and their subsequent performance was assessed for a period of 30 days. The results have depicted significant role of split doses in maintaining the favorable water quality conditions. The variations in water quality parameters namely pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonia, phosphate, organic carbon and total bacterial population were relatively less in the case of split doses as against the single dose application. Further, all the treated waters depicted higher cladoceran population as compared to the control. Moreover, higher cladoceran population (8730 No/l) was observed in split doses followed by single application (5250 No/l) and control (410 No/l). Statically analysis of variance and Duncan’s new multiple range test for average cladoceran population were significant at 5 per cent level. Thus, the favorable water quality and higher cladoceran population observed with split doses warrant the use of domestic sewage in split doses for aquaculture of live fish food.