ARS | Publication request: USE OF COPPER SULFATE TO PREVENT MORTALITY FROM ICH IN CHANNEL CATFISH PONDS.

Submitted to: Catfish Channel
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 24, 2003
Publication Date: October 24, 2003
Citation: STRAUS, D.L. USE OF COPPER SULFATE TO PREVENT MORTALITY FROM ICH IN CHANNEL CATFISH PONDS.. CATFISH CHANNEL. 2003. v.43. p.4.

Technical Abstract: Fiberglass tanks were setup in a temperature controlled laboratory to study how effective copper sulfate (CuSO4) is at controlling mortality associated with the Ich parasite on channel catfish in a simulated pond environment. Juvenile channel catfish were exposed to Ich-infested fish until immature parasites were visible on these fish. Twenty fish were then randomly distributed into 15 tanks containing 150 gallons of pond water and treated with CuSO4 every other day for 4 treatments; the study was maintained for 10 days post-treatment to observe any recurrence of the outbreak for a total of 17 days. Water temperature was 84°F. Alkalinity was 220 ppm and hardness was 101 ppm. Treatment rates were 0.0, 1.1, 2.2, 3.3, and 4.4 ppm CuSO4 with survival after 17 days of 0, 85, 18, 2, and 3 %, respectively. The typical treatment rate for aquaculture ponds is 1 ppm CuSO4 for every 100 ppm alkalinity, or 2.2 ppm CuSO4 in the present study. The results indicate that CuSO4 is effective for controlling mortality associated with Ich outbreaks at half the recommended treatment rate under the conditions of this study. The low survival at the 2.2 ppm and higher treatments was probably due to a combination of stress and toxicity. Effective treatment in channel catfish ponds will also be influenced by pond sediments and other water chemistry.