EXPLORATION OF AQUATIC PLANTS AS PHYTOREMEDIATORS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY OF TILAPIA FARMING PONDS

Abstrak

Water quality as a living medium for fish is very influential on its survival and growth, so it must always be considered. Improving the water quality of fish ponds can be done through phytoremediation. This study conducted phytoremediation of pond water using water hyacinth, apu wood, and lotus plants, to find out which plants are most effective in reducing pollutant levels in pond water. The research was conducted from July to August 2023 at Sayang Ibu Boarding School by keeping the test plants in an aquarium and comparing the concentration of polluting compounds before and after treatment with the test plants. The results showed that the test plant that had the highest phytoremediation rate for all parameters was apu wood, followed by water hyacinth, and the lowest was lotus. The phytoremediated water decreased the levels of contaminants such as TDS, total ammonia, and phosphorus. Despite having the highest phytoremediation rate, the rapid proliferation of apu wood causes it to cover the water surface, blocking sunlight from entering the water and reducing dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the water. Therefore, this study recommends that phytoremediation using water hyacinth is better than the other two plants.