Assessing the impacts of zeolite on water quality, growth performance, heavy metal content and health condition of farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The rapid expansion and intensification of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) aquaculture in Bangladesh results in an increasing tendency of administering more pharmaceuticals in fish health management. Hence, with the aim of investigating the effects of zeolite (a water and sediment treatment compound) on water quality, growth performance, hematology, gut microbial content, and heavy metal content of Oreochromis niloticus, an experiment was performed for 126 days in six experimental earthen ponds (each pond size is one decimal). The stocking density was 300 fry/decimal. Zeolite was applied directly into the water in treatment ponds at a rate of 200 g/decimal during pond preparation and 100 g/decimal/15 days intervals during the culture period as recommended by the manufacturing company. The results indicated that zeolite had a significant effect (p