ARS | Publication request: Comparing the efficacy of four immersion flush and static hydorgen peroxide and copper sulfate treatments on channel catfish eggs infected with water molds

Submitted to: Book of Abstracts Aquaculture America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 20, 2010
Publication Date: February 28, 2011
Citation: Mitchell, A.J., Straus, D.L. 2011. Comparing the efficacy of four immersion flush and static hydorgen peroxide and copper sulfate treatments on channel catfish eggs infected with water molds [abstract]. Book of Abstracts Aquaculture America. p.310.

Technical Abstract: Water mold infestations on channel catfish eggs lower the hatch rate (egg survival) and ultimately the number of catfish fry available for stocking in production ponds. This study compared the potential of two hydrogen peroxide (HP) and two copper sulfate pentahydrate (CSP) treatments to increase channel catfish egg survival and prevent fungal growth on eggs. Hydrogen peroxide (250 mg/L) and CSP (10 mg/L) were both tested using single daily applications of an immersion flush (chemical is applied en masse and slowly dissipated with constant water flow) and static bath (water flow shut off for 15 min) treatments. All four treatments significantly increased egg survival (50.7 to 80.0%) compared to an untreated group (13.3%). Although there was no statistical difference between the four treatments, the static HP treatment (80.0% survival) increased egg survival 13.6 to 29.3% more than the other treatments. The average survivals for the HP and CSP immersion flush and the CSP static bath treatments were 66.5, 50.7 and 56.9%, respectively. The average measure of the diameter of the largest fungal colony on an egg mass (fungal growth measure) for the static and immersion flush HP treatments was significantly reduced from the untreated group while the static and immersion flush CSP treatments were not reduced. The HP static bath treatment had the lowest fungal growth measure (2.3 cm); the measures for the HP and CSP immersion flush treatments, the CSP static bath treatment, and the untreated group were 2.9, 4.8, 4.6, and 8.9 cm, respectively.