The impact of water quality on feed effect

The impact of water quality on feed effect

The main indicators of water quality and their importance

Aquaculture has high requirements for water quality, mainly including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH value, salinity, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite and other indicators. The quality of water directly affects the growth rate, reproduction rate, disease resistance, etc. of farmed organisms, and thus affects the effect of feed.

The impact of different water quality indicators on feed effect

Ammonia nitrogen

The impact on the feeding of farmed organisms: Ammonia nitrogen can damage the gill tissue of fish, causing the red blood cells in the blood to lose the ability to bind with oxygen, resulting in decreased respiratory function, mainly invading the mucosa, especially the epidermis of the gills and intestinal mucosa, followed by the nervous system, causing damage to the liver and kidney systems of aquatic animals such as fish. This will lead to a decline in the body function of farmed organisms, manifested as reduced feeding and reduced feed intake, thus affecting the effect of feed. Generally, the ammonia concentration required for fish farming water should not exceed 1.0mg/L.

Affecting feed digestion and absorption: Excessive ammonia nitrogen will put farmed organisms in a state of stress, inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes in the body, affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the feed, and reduce the utilization rate of the feed.

Nitrite

Reducing the vitality of farmed organisms: Nitrite is highly toxic to fish, which can cause fish and shrimp to eat less, gill tissue lesions, breathing difficulties, restlessness or slow reaction, resulting in fish and shrimp lack of oxygen or even suffocation. Reduced vitality will reduce the demand for feed in farmed organisms, and is not conducive to their digestion and utilization of feed.

Affecting growth and development: Nitrite is more harmful to seedlings than adults, and will delay or stop the growth and development of aquatic animals, making feed unable to effectively promote growth and reducing the input-output ratio of feed. The nitrite concentration in water should generally not exceed 0.15 mg/L.

Acidity (pH value)

Changes in feed nutrients: Changes in water pH will affect the stability and effectiveness of certain nutrients in the feed. For example, in highly acidic water, some mineral elements may form insoluble salts, reducing their efficiency in being absorbed by farmed organisms.

Impact on digestive enzyme activity: The digestive enzymes in farmed organisms need to be in an appropriate pH environment to perform optimally. When the pH value of the water quality is not suitable, the activity of the digestive enzymes decreases, affecting the digestion and absorption of the feed, and thus affecting the feed effect.

Water temperature

Impact on feeding and metabolism: During aquaculture, changes in water temperature will affect the growth and reproduction of fish. When the water temperature is too low, the metabolism of farmed organisms slows down, the food intake decreases, and the digestion and absorption rate of feed in the body also slows down; when the water temperature is too high, the respiration and metabolism of farmed organisms may be too fast, energy consumption increases, and the efficiency of feed conversion into growth decreases.

Dissolved oxygen content

Promote digestion and absorption: Adequate dissolved oxygen helps farmed organisms to carry out normal respiration and metabolic activities, improves the activity of digestive enzymes, and promotes the digestion and absorption of feed. When the dissolved oxygen content in the water is insufficient, the food intake of farmed organisms will decrease, the digestive function will be inhibited, and the utilization rate of feed will decrease.