improve water quality in commercial farms, the pond
water is partially flushed out and refilled with new
source water. In an area like Suphan Buri, where a
large number of fish farms are located, the
wastewater discharged from fish ponds enters the
public water supply canals, from which the water is
taken to fill the ponds. As a result, the canal water
quality is generally poor and also becomes a
communal source for disease transmission.
The concept of using herbivorous fish to take
advantage of the abundant food source derived from
intensive aquaculture is practical as shown by the
present results. This system can be applied to other
species such as snakehead, seabass and even shrimp
in both large- and small-scale intensive fish farms.