Determining the Aquaculture Potential of Campus Ponds Based on Water Quality Parameters for Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Farming

Water quality largely determines the success of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) cultivation. This study assessed whether two campus ponds at Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya Banyuasin, Indonesia, are suitable for tilapia culture, using physical and chemical water-quality parameters and a descriptive quantitative design. Water was sampled at three stations per pond (inlet, center, outlet) on two occasions, with duplicate measurements. We reported temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, ammonia, phosphate, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Mean temperature was 32.00 ± 0.43 °C in Pond 1 and 32.42 ± 0.51 °C in Pond 2, and DO was relatively high (6.53 ± 0.19 and 6.55 ± 0.20 mg/L). TDS was low (26.42 ± 2.07 and 30.50 ± 1.68 mg/L). Mean pH was slightly acidic (6.09 ± 0.14 and 6.15 ± 0.14): below the 6.5–8.5 range used for tilapia culture, but inside the 6–9 range of Class II in Government Regulation No. 22/2021. Ammonia (0.48 ± 0.06 and 0.41 ± 0.10 mg/L), phosphate (1.25 ± 0.08 and 1.36 ± 0.09 mg/L), BOD (8.84 ± 1.44 and 10.93 ± 2.79 mg/L), and COD (29.00 ± 6.64 and 35.67 ± 9.11 mg/L) exceeded the comparison values used. Both ponds therefore offer supportive oxygen conditions but are constrained by organic loading and nutrient enrichment. They should be regarded as usable only after water-quality management and confirmatory monitoring, including dawn-time DO, nitrite, alkalinity, and the analytical basis of ammonia and phosphate. Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)SDG 4 (Quality Education)SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)