Management of fish ponds built on acid sulfate soils in Buguma Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria
Dublin Green, C.O.; Ayinla, A.O.; Ogori, T.K.
Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management 7(2): 39-43
2003
Document Number: 259974
An experiment on the use of tidal flushing as a management technique for fish ponds constructed in mangrove swamp (dominated by Rhizophora spp.) of the Niger Delta was carried out at the NIOMR/ARAC brackish water fish farm, Buguma, Rivers State, Nigeria. The soils are highly acidic, pH in the wet state ranged between 6.75 and 7.70 but on air-drying, values decreased to as low as 3.1. The soil acidifies the overlying pond water rapidly to pH less than 4.0 but upon tidal flushing the acidity was significantly reduced with pH increasing to 7.1. The experiment revealed the effectiveness of tidal flushing in improving pond water quality and fish yield in brackish water ponds to approximately 1.25 mt/ha per year.