Calcium content in pond sediment and its effect on neutralizing capacity of water and fish production

This paper deals with the assessment of the available insoluble calcium compounds in pond sediment and their conversion into soluble bicarbonate; its impact on the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) or alkalinity of water and the influence of bioturbation by fish stock. The objective of the study was the assessment of the influence of different Ca contents in pond sediments of two groups of ponds: LCa (with a low content of available Ca) and HCa (with a high content of available calcium) on acid neutralizing capacity of water, conductivity and pH. In our experiments, the turbidity of water, content of chlorophyll, nutrients and natural gain of fish in general have been observed as well. The results revealed that ponds with a higher content of calcium with a mean concentration of 27.45 ± 7.9 mmol Ca/kg in dry matter reported a higher ANC (alkalinity; mean value of 2.31 ± 0.33 mmol/l); pH with smaller fluctuations (7.69 ± 0.37; p