The Use of Ammonium chloride and Sodium nitrite to avoid new tank syndrome effect

Abstract

This research was conducted to evaluate the use of ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite to enhance growth of nitrifying bacteria in order avoiding the new tank syndrome effect. This experiment used two factors of ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite treatment and time to put fish into tank after addition of ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite. The experiment conducted using completely randomized design with three replications. The fish used in this experiment was common carp with initial body weight of 5±0,42 g/fish. Survival rate, total bacteria, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and hardness were determined. The result showed that elevated dose of material could increase the number of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), even though the increasing did not stand longer. Furthermore there were differences in the survival rates of common carp between timing treatment of putting fish into the tank of three days and six days after ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite treatments. However the treatments have not eliminated all effect of new tank syndrome yet.