How to prevent and treat saprolegniasis in pufferfish? A detailed explanation of prevention and treatment techniques for common diseases in aquaculture
1. Causes
Saprolegniasis, also known as water mold disease or white hair disease, is mainly caused by fungi such as Saprolegnia or Achlya invading wounds, resulting from careless operations such as netting, transport, pond transfer and artificial breeding of broodstock with induced maturation and spawning, or from net-cage fish farming causing abrasions on the fish body surface, or from parasites damaging the fish body surface. This disease can occur in all four seasons, and mostly occurs in the plum rain season.
2. Symptoms
After fungi such as Saprolegnia or Achlya invade wounds on the fish body, they absorb large amounts of nutrients from the fish body and rapidly reproduce and grow. In the early stage of the disease, the symptoms are not obvious; in the later stage, white hair-like external hyphae can be seen with the naked eye growing in large numbers from the wound on the fish body. The mold can secrete large amounts of proteolytic enzymes. After the fish body is stimulated, it secretes large amounts of mucus, becomes restless, swims abnormally and slowly, has reduced appetite, increased skin mucus and tissue necrosis. In severe cases, white hair-like hyphae cover the entire fish body, ultimately leading to weakening and death of the fish.
3. Prevention
Management should be strengthened during the fish farming process, and operations should be careful to avoid injury to the fish body.
4. Treatment
For general injuries to the fish body, soaking in 0.1% salt water for 30 minutes each time can heal the fish after several consecutive soaks. After broodstock are injured during artificial breeding, they should promptly be placed in clean water for isolated rest, and the wounds should be coated with sulfonamide ointment. When the fish body is severely injured, inject streptomycin intramuscularly at 50,000 to 100,000 units per kilogram of fish body weight. Fish already infected with saprolegniasis should be promptly removed to prevent the spread of water mold. In addition, splash the whole pond with a mixture of 1 part salt at a concentration of 2% to 3% and 1 part sodium bicarbonate.