Analisis Perkembangan Hidup Biota Air Tawar pada Ekosistem Akuaponik

Abstract

This study examines the impact of ammonia levels on the development of freshwater biota, with a special focus on snakehead fish (Channa striata) and spinach (Amaranthus sp.) in an aquaponic ecosystem. The experiment was conducted using a closed circulation aquarium, where several environmental parameters, namely pH, water temperature, air temperature, air humidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), and total dissolved solids (TDS) were monitored using a sensor fusion system. The values of these parameters were then correlated with the concentration of ammonia in the aquarium. Ammonia in the aquarium comes mainly from fish metabolic waste, such as feces and urine, as well as rotting food waste and other organic materials. Ammonia is useful as a nutrient for plants in the form of nitrate (NO₃⁻), but interferes with development and is harmful to fish in the form of nitrite (NO2⁻). Fish were fed twice a day, in the form of pellets in the morning and maggots in the afternoon. Growth responses were measured based on the length and weight of the fish, as well as the height and number of leaves of the plants. Using Pearson Correlation Coefficient, the correlation values between ammonia concentration and pH, DO, EC, TDS, air humidity, air temperature, and water temperature were sequentially 0.50, 0.09, 0.14, -0.07, -0.01, -0.20, and -0.22. Meanwhile, the K-means algorithm was used to detect data anomalies. The results showed that snakehead fish (Channa striata) and spinach (Amaranthus sp.) can thrive in an environment with an ammonia concentration of 1 mg/L or below.