Quantification of Plankton and Benthic Macro-invertebrates in a Simulated Chicken Manure and Pig Dung Fertilized Mesocosms

Abstract

A simulated study of chicken manure and pig dung fertilized mesocosm was carried out in wet and dry season on the fish farm of Federal College of Education (FCE), Pankshin, Plateau State, Nigeria. The experiments were conducted using ten kilograms of benthic soil from an unstock earthen pond that was carefully lifted, weighed and transferred into sixteen different plastic mesocosms (capacity 40 litres each). A total of three (3) test concentrations; 120, 80 and 40 g each for chicken manure and pig dung and one (1) control (0 g) each duplicate replicated were labelled A₁cm, A₂cm, B₁cm, B₂cm, C₁cm, C₂cm and A₁pd, A₂pd, B₁pd, B₂pd, C₁pd and C₂pd while D₁ and D₂ served as controls. Each plastic mesocosm was stirred weekly and samples taken to the laboratory for plankton analysis while the benthic soil was scooped weekly for benthic macro-invertebrates identification and counting. The result showed that the species composition of plankton comprises Diatom sp. (65%), Daphnia sp. (4%), Cyclope sp. (3%), Rotifer sp. (5%), Volvox sp. (9%), Euglena sp. (2%), Spirogyra sp. (3%), Amoeba sp. (1%), Nostoc sp. (2%), Paramecium sp. (2%), Synedra sp. (.1%) Butoyoccocus sp. (1%), Limnocalamus sp. (1%), Phacus sp. (.%), Cymbella sp. (2%), Triponema sp. (1%), Tuberlaria sp. (1%), Closterium sp. (.3%) and Chlamydomonas sp. (2%). Macro invertebrates comprised of Chironomussp (66%), Water bug (2%), Dragonfly larvae (1%), Water cricket (3%) and Mosquito larvae (33%). The effect between chicken manure and pig dung on plankton and macro-invertebrates was significantly high (P>0.05) and the effect between the different concentrations; 120, 80, 40 g of chicken manure and pig dung on plankton and macro- invertebrates was significantly less (P<0.05). It was concluded that 80 g/L of chicken manure and 80 g/L of pig dung comprised more organisms among the treated mesocosms and therefore recommended for use.