Modern Aquaculture Techniques

ICAR-CIFA Grow Fish… Grow with Fish…
National Webinar on “Modern Aquaculture Techniques for
Doubling the Income of Fish Farmers” from 23-25 May 2020
Disease Management Practices for Better
Fish Production
Dr. S.S. Mishra
Principal Scientist & Head
Fish Health Management Division
ICAR- Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture
Mob: 7894281261; Email: ssmishra60@gmail.com
Dr. S. S. Mishra, Head, FHMD

Points to be discussed:
•Introduction to: Status of Indian Aquaculture
•Basic keys to aquaculture development in India
•Basic principles of disease management in
Freshwater Aquaculture
• Common diseases of Freshwater finfishes and their
management
•Disease Treatment Guidelines

• Ponds and tanks: 2.36 million ha
• Wetlands : 4.22 million ha
Aquaculture Resources in India: Need interventions for
enhancing aquaculture production
• There is immense scope of aquaculture
development in India
• A large extent of Indian aquaculture
is still based on traditional farming
methods: Need interventions to
enhance production
Around 0.8 million ha of ponds and tanks (40%) presently
under use

Basic Three Keys to Aquaculture Production
Enhancement in India
• Adoption of Scientific & Systemic aquaculture
Practices
• HRD: Training & Skill development of farmers
& entrepreneurs in Scientific aquaculture
practices
• Development Infrastructure & Marketing
Facilities for good price for the produce

Our Goal:
Adoption Of Scientific & Systemic
Aquaculture Practices for Sustainable
Aquaculture Development in India

Main focus for discussion:
Fish Disease Management
Disease: Major Constraint to Aquaculture
Development world wide
Nearly 15% Production loss: due to disease

How Disease Occurs in Fish ??

Disease
Health
Environment Pathogen
Host pathogen
Interaction
Stress: Most imp. Inducing Factor for Disease
Fish

Stress and Fish health:
• Overstocking
• Poor water quality: High organic load, low Alkalinity
• Lack of proper feeding: emaciation
• Sudden change in Env. Temperature
• Improper handling: Netting
• Drugs, Chemicals and sanitizers applied in pond
No. of factors responsible for inducing stress to
cultured fish
These factors help in Pathogen
multiplication and induction of diseases

Four Imp. keys for sustainable Aquaculture
development & minimizing production loss
• Quality seed
• Quality feed
• Regular Water quality
Management
• Disease Management

Quality Seed
 Procure from Certified hatchery:
 Maintaining quality brood Stock:
(Jayanti Rohu, Improved Catla,
Amur Carp, Pangasius, Tilapia)
 Improper breeding technique can
lead to production of inferior quality
seed
 Diseased seed/ pathogen Carrier
seeds

Quality feed
Nutritionally balanced feed
Nutritional Deficiency: Malnutrition
• Regular feeding to cultured fish:
(Pelleted feed, DORB, GNOC)
• Maintain Nutritional requirement
• Vitamin- Minerals & Micronutrients
• Malnutrition causes: Scale loss
deformity, slow growth and fish
become prone to disease/ pathogen
attack

Water quality Management
Water quality parameters is correlated to disease
occurrence in cultured fish
Very Important but often neglected : Stress to animals
Optimum water quality parameters
• pH: 7.5 – 8.5
• Total Alkalinity (grow-out): >100– 250 ppm
• Total hardness: >100– 250 ppm
• Ammonia : < 1.0 ppm
• DO: > 3 ppm
• Regular Pond fertilization: Plankton growth

Maintain proper Stocking in the ponds
Over Stocking: main cause of stress
• Stocking density in ponds: Spawn 20 lakhs/ Acre
Fingerlings 4000 nos/Acre
Stunted Yearlings: 2000 nos/acre
• Regular liming of ponds:
• Fertilization of ponds: Raw cow-dung, DAP, Urea:
according to local conditions of ponds

• Post-Rainy season: High Organic load
• Onset of Winter: Change in Temp
• Post winter: Change in temp
• Stressful environment: Conducive for pathogen
multiplication
When Disease Occurs???
Environmental Stress

Fish kills: Two factors
(i) Non-infectious factors: Environmental
(ii) infectious agents : Pathogens

Infectious diseases of Fish
• Bacterial
• Viral
• Fungal
• Parasitic

Various causes of Mortality in FW Fish culture
Mishra S. S. et al. 2017. Present status of fish disease management in freshwater
aquaculture in India: State-of the-Art-Review. HSOA Journal of Aquaculture &
Fisheries, J. Aquac Fisheries, 1: 003.

Variation of disease occurrence pattern in
Different Fish culture Systems

Mishra S. S., et al., 2017. Present status of fisheries and impact of
emerging diseases of fish and shellfish in Indian aquaculture. J Aquat
Res Mar Sci 2017: 5-26.

Parasitic
infestations
12%
Bacterial
disease
28%
Fungal disease
32%
Alteration in
water quality
10%
Other factors
18%
Diseases inCage Culture

ICAR-CIFA Grow Fish… Grow with Fish…Dr. S. S. Mishra, Head, FHMD

Common Bacterial Diseases of FW Fish:
1. Red disease: Very common in FW Fish culture.
Multiple pathogens involved.
Water parameters- inducing factor with secondary
bacterial infection

Aeromoniasis: Ulcerative disease:
Often confused with EUS
•Several members of the Genus Aeromonas: A. hydrophila,
A. sobria, A. caviae, A.veronii etc. are associated with the
disease.
•Initially superficial skin lesions, often haemorragic,
become ulcerative,
• Occur on skin, at the base of fins, may lead to death

Tail rot- Fin Rot
• Bacterial disease, typical symptoms like erosion of
fins, sometime total loss of fins.
• Multiple bacterial pathogens involved
• Poor water quality in culture ponds is the main
inducing factor

Columnaris disease :
• Another imp. Bacterial disease caused by- Flavobacterium
columnare -earlier known as Cytophaga columnaris and
Flexibacter columnaris.
• Major disease in warm and cold water fish: All size age groups
affected
• Mainly due to high organic load in culture system
• Yellowish discoloration of body muscle & gills
• Ulcers on Back; Saddle disease

Dropsy
•Dropsy: Also called Oedema fish disease”.
•Bacterial infection of the Kidneys : Aeromonas spp.
•Swelling in the abdomen due to fluid retention .
•Internal organs are damaged
•Poor water quality – pathogen no. increased

Bacterial Septicaemia
Bacterial Septicaemia: (Haemorrhagic
Septicaemia)
Caused By: Motile Aeromonas
Pseudomonas spp.
Ruffled scales: Fluid accumulation in areas
underlying skin

Bacterial Gill disease
Causative agent: Flavobacterium branchiophilum
• The disease is closely linked to environmental
conditions, and other stress factors like high
organic load and overcrowding etc.
• The disease is characterized by attachment and
proliferation of the filamentous bacteria on the gill
mucoid surface. The disease is often confused with
fungal infections.

Viral Diseases in fish
• So far not reported in Carps
• Some have been reported in Ornamental fish : Viral
pathogens like Cyprinid herpesvius-2 (CyHV-2),
Koi ranavirus (KIRV), Carp edema virus (CEV),
Megalocytivirus and Goldfish haematopoietic
necrosis herpes virus,
• Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) disease, the first-
ever major disease epidemic reported in
tilapia aquaculture. TiLV has been described
as a novel virus in the Family
Orthomyxoviridae
Emergence of Tilapia Lake Virus associated with mortalities of
farmed Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus 1758) in India,
Aquaculture, Volume 484, 1 February 2018, Pages 168-174

Disease Diagnosis & Control

Methods used in disease diagnosis:
1. Collection of information on
Previous history of disease
2. On site-Observation (Very Early
Morning)
• Swimming and shoaling : Sick fish
are usually lethargic, lying apart
from the shoal
• Abnormal movement :
• Side swimming
• Jumping
• Feed response

Treatment of bacterial diseases
•First test water quality
•Consult the Expert: Dist. Fisheries Officials/
Scientists, Fish Disease specialists
• Intimate about the pond condition, culture species
details, etc.
• As per the advise: apply preventive/ remedial
measures
•Various Antiseptics/ drugs & Chemicals available in
the market

Common Antiseptics for bacterial
disease:
i) Benzalkonium chloride (BKC)
Bath treatment 10mg/l for 5-10 minutes.
For prolonged immersions, 0.5-1.0 mg/l.
ii) Alkyl benzalkonium chloride: Bath
treatment @ 2 mg/l conc. for 1 hour
iii) CIFAX : Preventive at dose of 400ml/
acre/ 1m water
For treatment and control use 800 ml/
acre/ 1 m water
iv) Didecyle dimethyl ammonium Chloride
(Sokrena WS): @ 2-4 L/ acre pond at 1 m
water depth

Antibiotics used in aquaculture: Follow USFDA guidelines
Antibiotics given via water
• Oxytetracycline 20-120 mg/l
• Co-trimazine (80mg trimethoprim
and 400mg sulphadiazine per ml):
apply 1ml/100l, for 8 -10 days
Antibiotics given via feed :
•Oxytetracycline at 75mg/kg fish biomass
per day for consecutive 10 days through
feed,
•Furazolidone at 75mg/kg,
• Co-trimazine at 30mg/kg fish biomass per
day for consecutive 10 days through feed.

Antibacterial agents recommended for use in aquaculture
Agent Dosage and route Comments
Acriflavine 500mg/l x 30 min bath
5-10 mg/l prolonged bath
Skin bacterial infections
Chloramine -T 15.0-20mg/l for prolonged
bath, repeat after 48 h
Treatment of bacterial gill
disease, fin rot
Methylene blue 2mg/l prolonged bath Skin bacterial infections,
Nifurpiriniol
(Furanace)
1-2mg/l x 30 min to 6 h bath
0.1mg/l Prolonged bath
4-10 mg/kg in feed for 5 days
Generalized bacterial
infection
Oxytetracycline 10-100mg/l x 1 h bath
55-83 mg/l in feed x 10 days
Generalized infections
Potassium
Permanganate
5mg/l x 30-60 min bath
2 mg/l permanent bath
Broad spectrum anti-septic
Povidone-iodine Topical application to wounds Broad spectrum activity
Sulphadimethoxine
and Ormetoprim
50mg/kg in feed x 5 days Broad spectrum activity

Antibiotics and other pharmacologically active substances banned for use in aquaculture in
India, as per recommendation of Coastal Aquaculture Authority/MPEDA
1. Chloramphenicol 11. Dimetridazole
2 Nitrofurans including: Furaltadone,
Furazolidone, Furylfuramide,Nifuratel,
Nifuroxime, Nifurprazine,
Nitrofurantoin, Nitrofurazone
12. Sulfonamide drugs (except
approved Sulfadimethoxine,
Sulfabromomethazine and
Sulfaethoxypyridazine)
3. Neomycin 13. Ronidazole
4. Nalidixic acid 14. Ipronidazole
5. Sulphamethoxazole 15. Other nitroimidazoles
6. Aristolochia spp and preparations
thereof
16. Clenbuterol
7. Chloroform 17. Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
8. Chlorpromazine 18. Metronidazole
9. Colchicine 19. Fluroquinolones
10. Dapsone 20. Glycopeptides

Fungal Diseases
When water quality is poor or fish are under stress,
they attack the fish causing skin lesions.
Saprolegnia :
• It is usually a secondary
invader of damaged or
stressed fish.
• The infection appears as
raised white “cotton wool”
• May look coloured by
trapped organic matter or
sediment.
Other names: True Fungus,
Mouth of Body Fungus,
Water Fungus, Velvet Disease

Epizootic Ulcerative syndrome (EUS)
Caused by: Aphanomyces invadans, as primary
aetiological agent .
Fish show localized red spots that spread to become ulcers
and ultimately turn out to deep sores. Secondary infection
with bacteria . Histologically : mycotic granuloma at the site
of lesions

Treatment of fungal Diseases:
• Bath treatment to adult fishes with Potassium
permanganate @ 160 mg/l.
• Malachite green (Use Restricted)
Fish eggs: at 50mg/100l (0.5 ppm)
Broodstock : 5-6g/100l as dip for 30 sec.
• CIFAX: Very useful in EUS/ Bacterial & Fungal
diseases
Dose: Prophylactic 400 ml/ acre in pond
Treatment dose: 1.0lit/acre as single dose
• Formalin : May be useful
• Salt (NaCl): 5% Salt bath for 1 minutes
• Active iodine / Idophores : Dip treatment at 50-
100 ppm for 10-15 minutes

Parasitic Diseases : Ectoparasites & Endoparasites
Monogenian trematodes :
a) Gyrodactylus spp. : knows as Skin flukes, attached
to the body surface, fins and gills by a hook,

b) Dactylogyrus spp. : known as Gill flukes
A group of flukes seen under
microscope
Gill fluke, Dactylogyrus sp.
(stained)

Crustacean parasites :
Two Important: Learneae & Argulous
a) Learneae spp., adult up to 22mm long, attach to the
surface of the skin.

Argulus :
Most important fish parasite: Cause damage of Skin,
Gills, fins, tissues . Haemorrhagic leading to ulcers.
Significant loss in production
Gross
observation
Visible
under
microscope

Myxozoan infection
•There are group of parasites viz., Myxobolus, Henneguya,
Sphaerospora, Thelohanellus sp.
•Myxobolus Cysts seen on skin, gill, Fin
•Under heavy infestation they cause mortality.
Gills heavily infested with cysts
L. rohita : cysts on Caudal fin

Myxobolus Cysts seen under microscope

Ichthyophthiriosis (Ich or Freshwater white spot disease)
•Caused by Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.
•It is a round to oval shaped holotrichous ciliate protozoan
•Size: 0.5-1.5 mm wide,
•Characterized by its horseshoe shaped macronucleus.
Visible white spot on the body
surface
Ich under microscope

Occurrence of single and multiple parasitic infestations in Fish
Mishra S. S. et al. 2017. Present status of fish disease management in
freshwater aquaculture in India: State-of the-Art-Review. HSOA
Journal of Aquaculture & Fisheries, J. Aquac Fisheries, 1: 003.

Treatment for parasitic diseases :
Various Anti-parasitic drugs/chemicals
available in the market but always consult an
expert before their application in aquaculture

Common recommendations
• Lime (CaO) : 100 kg/ha, to enhance alkalinity
• Copper sulphate : Good for ectoparasite infestations,
but restricted use. Dose 0.1mg/l for long term bath
•Formalin : Restricted application
150-250 ppm for 1 hour or
20-25ml /100l for 30-60min.
For prolonged treatment, 2ml /100l for 12-24 hours.
• Salt bath: 5% NaCl – 30 sec to 1 min bath treatment

• Cypermethrin (Clinar EC:10): 15ml/acre,
3 dose at 5 days interval
• Deltamethrin (Buox (1.25%) or Ectodel
(2.8%): (15ml/acre, 3 dose at 5 days interval)
• Ivermectin Oral: 10g/ 1 ton fish biomass
or 500g in 1 ton feed
•Emamectin Benzoate: 5mg/100kg
biomass, feed for 10days
•Amitraz:
• Imida Clopide (17.8%): 60 ml/ Acre/1 m
with 60kg common salt/ acre

Protozoan parasites:
• Albendazole : 30g/ 100kg feed
• Fenbendazole/
• Flubendazole: 30g/ 100kg feed

CIFA Publications for Farmers

Preventive and control measures
• Since most diseases in fish arise from stressful conditions,
mostly due to poor husbandry and management practices, care
need to be taken to improve it
•Regular farm management and sanitization can reduce the
incidence of disease occurrence
• Always maintain optimum water quality parameters in culture
ponds
• Maintain optimum stocking density : avoid overcrowding and
excess handling.
• Implement Farm Biosecurity:
•Quarantine all new stock, treat with antiseptics before releasing
into pond
•Proper disposal of dead/ diseased fish

Conclusion
Sustainable & Progressive development of FW
aquaculture is possible
Fish disease is mostly correlated with water quality
parameters & Environmental stress
Periodical monitoring with Farm hygiene/
Sanitization
would considerably reduce disease incidence
Always consult the specialist before application of
any drugs/ chemicals in aquaculture

Take home message
Maintaining the optimum water quality
with less stressful environment is the best
approach to disease management in
Freshwater aquaculture

Thank You All
For Further information please contact
Dr. S.S. Mishra
Principal Scientist & Head
Fish Health Management Division
ICAR- Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture
Bhubaneswar- 751002, Odisha
Web: www.cifa.nic.in
Mob: 7894281261; Email: ssmishra62@gmail.com

Modern Aquaculture Techniques

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