Physical, chemical and biological (zooplankton) characteristics of the water supplies the Pisciculture Station of the Federal University of Lavras í MG

Abstract

The present study was carried out in a small canal that supplies water to the Pisciculture Station of the Federal University of Lavras (21°14'S and 45°00'W). The objective was to obtain a physical, chemical and biological (zooplankton) characterization of the water that supplies the Pisciculture Station. The samples were taken biweekly, from June 1997 to May 1998, in one collection station. The mean values obtained for the physical and chemical variables (pH = 7.0; electric conductivity = 51.9 mS.cm^-1; total alkalinity = 0.95 meq.L^-1: dissolved oxygen = 7.0 mg.L^-1) are within the ideal limits for aquaculture. The zooplankton community was represented by 102 taxa (58 Rotifera, 11 Cladocera, 9 Copepoda, 24 Protozoa). The predominant taxa were Keratella cochlearis and Cyclopoida nauplii. The mean diversity was 2.98 bits. ind^-1.