Soil and water interaction:

Physical and chemical properties

of soil and water for aquaculture

Submitted To:

Dr. K.H. Vadher

Associate professor

Dept. of Aquaculture

College of Fisheries, (JAU),

Veraval

Submitted By:

Krishna Jaiswal

M.F.Sc. 1st year

College of fisheries, (JAU),

Veraval

INTRODUCTION

Successful aquaculture depends on providing animal with a satisfactory

environment in which to grow.

Good initial condition for aquaculture can be assured by a selecting a site

with suitable soil and a high quality water supply.

Soil is a key factor in aquaculture. Most of the pond is built from in a soil.

Many dissolved and suspended substances are derived from contact with soil.

Pond soil are store house for many substance that accumulate in the pond

ecosystem and chemical and biological process occurring in the surface layer of

pond soil influences water quality and aquaculture.

Hence an understanding of soil properties and process in soil can be useful in

pond aquaculture.

POND SOIL

Material composing the bottom of streams, lake and ponds are known

as sediment, mud or soil.

The pond bottom is originally made of terrestrial soil and when the

pond is filled with water the bottom becomes wet.

Mixture of solid materials and with water is called ‘ ‘mud ’ ’.

Solids settle from the pond water and cover the pond bottom is ‘

‘sediment ’ ’

CONT…

Basic function of pond soil is an embankment that impound water and

forms barrier to seepage so that pond will hold the water.

Substances continually settle from pond water into the pond bottom.

For example - suspended solid, particles of soil and organic matter that

eroded from pond bottom and insides of levees by water current and wave

action, manure and uneaten feed from management inputs and remains of

plants and animals produced with in the pond.

Substances also enter from solid phase of soil from the aqueous phase

through ion exchange, adsorption and precipitation.

For example - potassium can be exchanged for other cation on the soil,

phosphorus can be adsorbed by soil and CaCO3 may precipitate from

solution and become a part of the bottom soil matrix.

CONT…

Organic matter deposited on the pond bottom is decomposed to

inorganic carbon and released to the water as carbon dioxide.

Nitrogen compound may be denitrified by pond soil microorganism and

lost to the atmosphere as nitrogen gas.

Microbial decomposition is extremely important because organic matter

is oxidized to CO2 and ammonia and other nutrient element is released.

Carbon dioxide and ammonia are highly soluble and quickly enter the

water.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

1. Soil Texture

2. Soil Structure

3. Soil Colour

4. Soil Porosity

5. Soil Colloids

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL

1. Soil pH

2. Organic Matter

3. Calcium Carbonate

4. Soil Salinity

5. Redox Potential

6. C:N Ratio

7. Nutrients Status

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER

1. Water Temperature

2. Turbidity

3. Water Colour

4. Light penetration

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER

1. Dissolved Oxygen

2. Carbon Dioxide

3. pH

4. Alkalinity

5. Hardness

6. Salinity

7. Hydrogen Sulphide

8. Redox Potential

9. Ammonia

REALATIONSHIP OF THE DIFFERENT PARAMETER

SOME IMPORTANT REACTION AND

PROCESSES CONTROLLING POND-

SOIL-WATER INTERACTION

Dissociation: CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O Ca2+ + 2HCO3-

Precipitation: Al3+ + H2PO4 + 2H2O Al(OH)2H2PO4 +2H+

Hydrolysis: Al3+ + 3H2O Al(OH)3 + 3H+

Neutralization: HCO3- + H+ H2O + CO2

Oxidation: NH4+ + 2O2 NO3

- +2H+ + H2O

Reduction: SO42+ + 4H2 S2- +4H2 O

Complex Formation: Cu2+ + CO32- CuCO3

CONT…

Adsorption: Adsorption of phosphorus on soil colloids.

Cation Exchange: K (Soil) K+ (Water)

Hydration: Al2O3 + 3H2O Al2O3.3H2O

Sedimentation: Soil particles in runoff settle to pond bottom.

Decomposition: Microorganisms break down soil organic matter.

CH2O + O2 CO2 + H2O

Photosynthesis: Benthic algae produce organic matter release oxygen.

6CO2 + 6H2O C6H6O6 + 6O2

Diffusion : Oxygen diffuses into bottom soil from water above.

Seepage: Water carrying dissolved substance seeps downward into the

pond soil.

Erosion: Water current in pond erode the bottom soil.

Suspension: Particulate matter eroded from the bottom is suspended in

pond water.

OPTIMUM LEVEL OF PHYSICO CHEMICAL

PROPERTIES OF SOIL AND WATER

S. No. Properties Optimum level/Type Measurement technique

1. Soil Texture Clay loam soil By visual observation/Glassware

2. Soil pH 7 and a little above pH paper/meter

3. Soil organic matter 1.5-2.5% Gaudette et al. Method

4. Free calcium carbonate 2 - 5% -

5. Soil C:N ratio 10:1 to 15:1 -

6. Nutrient status 8:4:2 (N:P:K) Spectrophotometer/ Calorimeter/ kits

7. Water temperature 24-30OC Thermometer

8. Turbidity 30-40cm transparency Secchi disc

9. Water colour Light or bright green Spectrophotometer/visual observation

10. Dissolved oxygen 5.0mg/litre Wrinklers methods/ Multiparameter analyser kit

11. Carbon dioxide Below 5.0ppm Titrimetric method/kits

12. pH 7.5 – 8.5 pH paper/meter

13. Total alkalinity 75-300mg/litre Titrimetric method/kits

14. Total hardness 60mg/litre Titrimetric method/kits

15. Salinity Depends on water body and species Refractometer

16. Hydrogen sulphide Nil Spectrophotometer/ Calorimeter/ kits

17. Ammonia 0.02-0.05mg/litre Spectrophotometer/ Calorimeter/ kits

Water quality analysis by

using kitWater quality analysis by

titration methodpH analysis by strip

Analysis of organic carbonAnalysis of soil textureGrinding of soil

WATER & SOIL QUALITY PARAMETER

ANALYSIS