IoT System on Dynamic Fish Feeder Based on Fish Existence for Agriculture Aquaponic Breeders

Maintaining and breeding fish in a pond are a crucial task for a large fish breeder. The main issues for fish breeders are pond management such as the production of food for fishes and to maintain the pond water quality. The dynamic or technological system for breeders has been invented and becomes important to get maximum profit return for aquaponic breeders in maintaining fishes. This research presents a developed prototype of a dynamic fish feeder based on fish existence. The dynamic fish feeder is programmed to feed where sensors detected the fish's existence. A microcontroller board NodeMCU ESP8266 is programmed for the developed hardware. The controller controls the feeding and feedback mechanism based on attached sensors. An ultrasonic sensor is programmed with the controller to detect the level of food and waterproof ultrasonic to detect existing fish. The humidity sensor was used to measure the humidity in the food container to control the food freshness. Two servo motors were used to move the waterproof sensor to attract the fish and to dispense the food to the fish when existed. The result presents four measured levels that are the temperature of the food container, the quality of food based on humidity measured, fish detection counter and level of fish food in the container. Data analytics on all the measured levels was presented on the ThingSpeak platform by using Blynk to get data collections from all sensors. This research is significant for fish breeders that support IR4.0 system connected online and mobile apps which also contribute to today’s agriculture.

Assessing the Impact of Algae Management Strategies on Anurans and Aquatic Communities

Residential areas are increasing on the landscape but their ability to provide suitable habitat is often based on management for recreational use and aesthetics. Amphibians rely on both aquatic and terrestrial habitat making them susceptible to changes in land-cover and land-use. As anthropogenic land-use change increases, it is imperative to assess how pond management practices impact aquatic communities. We assessed the impact of Aquashade (a common non-toxic pond dye) and copper sulfate (a toxic algaecide) on American toad (Anaxyrus americanus), northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens), and Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) metamorphosis in outdoor mesocosm experiments. We also evaluated the relative impact of tadpole grazing and chemical treatment on phytoplankton and periphyton abundance. We found no significant effects of pond management treatment on anuran metamorphosis, suggesting that addition of Aquashade and copper sulfate does not significantly impact anurans under these experimental conditions. However, while we found no differences in phytoplankton and periphyton abundance due to pond management treatment, presence of tadpoles significantly decreased phytoplankton and periphyton abundance over time. This result suggests that the creation of suitable pond habitat for anuran tadpoles may be an efficient and ecologically beneficial form of pond management treatment to maintain water quality.

Stormwater Pond Management: What You Need to Know about Aeration

This new 6-page document is intended to provide Floridians and their communities with information on a specific management practice in stormwater ponds: the use of fountains and other aeration approaches. These practices may provide opportunities both to improve water quality within the pond and protect downstream water quality. Specifically, this document gives basic information on fountains and the pros and cons of fountain installation and use. In addition, we provide information for pond managers or community decision makers on how to best manage ponds for effective pollutant removal in the pond and downstream water quality protection. Written by Samantha T. Howley, Steven P. Hohman, and Alexander J. Reisinger, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss695

INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS ON ADOPTION OF IMPROVED POND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG FISH FARMERS IN ISOKO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA DELTA STATE

This paper sought to determine personal and institutional factor influencing adoption rate of improved pond management practices among fish farmers in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State. Structured interview schedule was used in collecting data from eight-four fish farmers randomly selected. The results showed that primary occupation being fish farming, level of educational attainment and availability of inputs had positive influence on respondents’ adoption of improved pond management practices. However. majority of the respondents were involved in fish farming on a secondary basis. These findings suggest that there is an urgent need to organize programmes to motivate farmers to invest more in fish farming if they are to adopt these practices and keep apace with human population growth in the country.

Introduced fish assemblages in a mosaic of urban ponds: evidence for species-area and diversity-dominance patterns

We studied species-area and diversity-dominance patterns in fish communities of a mosaic of urban ponds (Rome, Italy). We detected 10 fish species (all introduced) in 40 isolated ponds (12.9% of the total; n = 311). The log-transformed species-area relationship (logS = 0.04 logA + 0.16) was significant. Assuming the lack of mechanisms of natural immigration between totally isolated ponds, the number of fish species in this mosaic of ponds may depend exclusively on progressive extinctions and on random and arbitrary events of introduction (acting as human-mediated immigration), these latter explaining the apparently low taxon-related isolation indicated by a low z value (= 0.04). We observed a significantly lower number of species in the smallest ponds and a further threshold under 1 ha in size: these values could represent an interesting threshold for pond management. The diversity-dominance approach evidenced pond size effect acting as a factor of stress on these assemblages.

Socio-economics of Artemia culture.

Traditional solar salt pans have been the only production activity carried out in Bac Lieu and Vinh Chau (Soc Trang) since the 1960s (Do, 1998). However, low and unsustainable incomes from salt production made this practice unattractive to salt farmers. At the end of the 1980s, Artemia production in the area was conducted under the technical advice of the College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Cantho University. Artemia production provides not only cysts for shrimp and fish hatcheries but also improves considerably the income of salt farmers (Vu, 1997). However, over the years cyst production has been unstable and has varied from place to place and from season to season. Production has also depended on investment scale and pond management. Moreover, cyst prices usually fluctuate and are market driven. Prices also depend on the remaining cyst stock held by shrimp feed companies. Thus, it is difficult for farmers to decide if they should invest in Artemia production for the coming season or not. This paper presents the pros and cons for sustainable production of Artemia in the area.

Effectiveness of children as a transfer agent for basic aquaculture technology in rural Bangladesh.

A model of child-to-child extension was developed as a supplement to an adult training programme aimed at enhancing effective pond aquaculture in rural communities in Bangladesh. Adult trainers from the Department of Fisheries (DoF) felt unqualified and uneasy to teach children. As a possibly more effective alternative trainer, graduate girls (kishorees) from the Non-Formal Primary Education programme (NFPE) of the Bangladesh Rural Advisory Committee (BRAC) were recruited and trained. In total 14,690 BRAC school children received six sessions of training and took home two games, promoting key lessons, to play with family and friends. Increased fish production was highest amongst the families of trained children, with 63% of parents reporting that they had followed the information provided by their children. This had resulted in an average increase of 754 to 2,008 kg ha-1 yr-1 from an average size pond of 0.1 ha-1. Outside the trained child family groups, 10% of pond farmers claimed that they had been motivated to actively improve their pond management techniques.