Buffering Efficiency of Bitterleaf (Vernonia Colorata) on Acidic Borehole Water for Fish Production in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Low pH in sediments and waters has been a constrain for a successive culture of fishes in Port Harcourt. The use of organic buffers has existed to remedy this constrain. This study was carried out to evaluate the buffering efficiency of bitter-leaf (Vernoniacorolata) parts on acidic borehole water for the culture of fish in remediation to this constrain. It was done using the Whole Method (for 14 Days) having Five, 18 Litres Plastic tanks (14 litres mark filled with water having a pH of 4.96) which was triplicated for each of the treatment. Contained in the Treatment tanks are Control (T0), Dried Leaves (T1), Fresh Leaves (T2), Dried Stems (T3) and Fresh Stems (T4). Water quality monitoring (pH, oxidative reduction potential, total alkalinity, electric conductivity and temperature) was carried out on daily basis except for calcium and turbidity which were carried out once in a week. Data generated from this study were collated and subjected to microsoft excel and IBM statistical package for social science to get the descriptive and inferencial statistical values (mean, barchats, standard deviation, standard error, maximum, minimum, range, and analysis of variance). All treatments increased with T1 having the highest buffering efficiency with a mean pH of 6.54(Day 3). From the study, the pH had an inverse relationship with the Oxidative-reduction potential and a positive relationship with total alkalinity, total dissolved solids, electric conductivity, calcium and turbidity while temperature was not controlled .The bitter-leaf parts is easily affordable and available for the culture of fish for consumption with the dried leaves having the best result in shorter time than other bitter leaf parts.