Channel Catfish Pond Effluents

Abstract

Abstract Water samples were collected four times a year for 2 years from the surface and bottom of 25 ponds used for commercial culture of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in central and west-central Alabama. Samples were analyzed for 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), nitrite-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, suspended solids, volatile solids, settleable solids, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Ranges for variables were as follows: BOD5, 1.9–35.54 mg/L; settleable solids, 0–1.8 mL/L; suspended solids, 5.2–336.7 mg/L; volatile solids, 0.02–221.0 mg/L; total phosphorus, 0–1.85 mg/L; soluble reactive phosphorus, 0–0.074 mg/L; total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 0.58–14.04 mg/L; total ammonia nitrogen, 0.008–8.071 mg/L; nitrite-nitrogen, 0.001–1.410 mg/L; nitrate-nitrogen, 0–6.661 mg/L; dissolved oxygen, 0.8–16.8 mg/L; and pH, 4.9–9.5. Concentrations of water quality variables were skewed towards the lower ends of these ranges. O...