In aquaculture, in order to be able to balance environmental factors, farmers need basic knowledge and technology.
Among them, carbon dioxide is one of the problems that have always existed, so today we will talk about some of the role of carbon dioxide, and ways to increase or decrease the concentration of carbon dioxide.
Due to climate change, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing rapidly.
First, the occurrence of carbon dioxide gas is increasing
During the day, the algae and various plants in the pond photosynthesize, producing dissolved oxygen. At night, when photosynthesis stops, respiration takes place, and algae and other organisms consume the oxygen dissolved during the night, and release carbon dioxide (CO2).
The carbon dioxide content in shrimp ponds is formed by microorganisms, bacteria, and the respiratory activity of fish and shrimp. In addition, the decomposition of organic residues that occurs under anaerobic or micro-oxygen conditions also produces large amounts of carbon dioxide gas.
In addition, due to climate change, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing rapidly, and the high level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will gradually spread to the seawater, affecting the pH value of the sea surface, and the aquaculture industry is also seriously affected.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in shrimp ponds affects shrimp in a number of ways.
2. Carbon dioxide changes can affect shrimp
High carbon dioxide content in the water, in addition to reducing the digestive enzyme activity of shrimp and increasing blood sugar levels, is also the direct cause of the negative impact on the growth and survival rate of shrimp.
When the carbon dioxide content in the water is high, the metabolism of shrimp is affected, resulting in a decrease in feed efficiency. In addition, shrimp live in water with high carbon dioxide content, which will consume a lot of energy for respiration, resulting in a lack of energy for its growth and development.
In addition, high levels of carbon dioxide can inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes, leading to slower feed consumption and growth. In particular, digestive enzymes play an extremely important role in the process of digesting feed, providing amino acids and essential substances for shrimp.
And the most important harmful effect is that if shrimp live in an environment with high concentrations of carbon dioxide, the health and growth of shrimp will be severely affected.
3. How to measure the carbon dioxide concentration of shrimp ponds
To find out if the concentration of carbon dioxide in a pond is high, farmers usually have two options:
1. Use the test kit products sold in the market to quickly and accurately determine the carbon dioxide concentration.
2. Carbon dioxide can be estimated by measuring pH and alkalinity, because higher carbon dioxide concentrations will make the pond water acidic and lower the pH value. Of course, farmers can bring water samples to the testing station and also get accurate results for CO2 quickly.
Fourth, how to reduce carbon dioxide quickly
Currently, there are many ways to balance CO2 levels quickly and efficiently, such as:
1. Use lime to reduce carbon dioxide
Sprinkle lime is also a good solution when farmers detect high CO2 concentrations in shrimp ponds. Lime removes carbon dioxide content, and lime also helps to increase the buffer system and carbon source for photosynthesis.
In particular, the night is the time when the CO2 content rises, so 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm is the right time to apply lime in order to avoid high CO2 levels in the early morning. For each lime molecule that reacts with carbon dioxide to produce 2 HCO3- ions, this ion plays an important role in resisting changes in the pH of the water body.
Carbon dioxide affects the absorption efficiency of shrimp feed.
2. Reduce carbon dioxide by aerating the bottom of the pond
Using the bottom of the pond to aerrate is one way to ensure the safety of the shrimp pond. Because the continuous use of lime measures can affect the growth process of shrimp, farmers can lose a lot of money. Therefore, farmers should design and install a suitable pond bottom aeration system. When installing, pay attention to the number and location of the aerators that need to be installed to ensure accuracy and bring efficiency to the pond.
This measure is conducive to increasing the content of dissolved oxygen gas, thereby reducing the content of carbon dioxide gas in the pond, so as to achieve the purpose of shrimp farming.
3. Use microorganisms to reduce carbon dioxide
Water pollution is also the main reason for the significant increase in carbon dioxide levels, and the use of microbial products to keep shrimp ponds clean is the safest, most economical and most effective measure to reduce carbon dioxide levels.
In general, in ponds with moderate alkalinity, carbon dioxide gas is no longer a problem. Because alkalinity acts as a buffer system, the pH does not fluctuate too much. Therefore, at the beginning of farming, farmers should pay attention to setting up the necessary equipment and using appropriate aquatic materials or chemicals, which can help save costs and improve the efficiency of farming.