Combined Surface‐Bottom Aeration: A Pathway to Improved Water Quality and Productivity in Pond‐Based Tilapia Farming

Abstract

Pond-based aquaculture demands effective management of dissolved oxygen (DO) for sustainable intensification to improve productivity. This study evaluated surface aeration (SA), bottom aeration (BA) and combined surface-bottom aeration (SBA) against a non-aerated control during a 120-day monoculture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) stocked at 400 fish/decimal. Water quality and DO dynamics were monitored throughout the culture period, and aeration was initiated on Day 59 when biomass reached 0.58 ± 0.05 kg/m2 and morning DO declined below 4 mg/L. Aerated ponds maintained more stable DO regimes than the NA control, whereas SBA achieved comparatively improved DO concentrations across water depths. SBA exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher total production (16.47 ± 0.195 MT/ha), faster specific growth (4.39% ± 0.035%), higher survival (96.88% ± 0.22%) and a lower feed conversion ratio (1.41 ± 0.017), whereas treatment NA showed the lowest performance across growth and feed efficiency parameters. Economic analysis aligned with these results, whereas SBA showed favourable cost–benefit ratios (1.14 ± 0.02) and return on investment (13.60% ± 1.36%). However, because SBA involved a higher installed power input than single-mode aeration systems, the observed benefits reflect the performance of the combined aeration configuration under the applied operational conditions rather than a strictly energy-normalized comparison. By simultaneously evaluating spatial oxygen distribution, operational aeration thresholds, biological performance and economic outcomes, this study provides practical evidence supporting integrated SBA as an effective strategy for sustainable intensification of pond-based Nile tilapia farming.