COMMON CATFISH DISEASES AND TREATMENT

WATER MANAGEMENT

Water quality is the most important factor affecting fish health and performance in aquaculture production systems.

Good water quality refers to what the fish wants and not what the farmer thinks the fish wants. 

This means that farmers must understand the water quality requirements of the fish under culture very well. Fish live and are totally dependent on the water they live in for all their needs and any error in water results to poor performance or even total loss of the fishes.

Adequate Water Temperature: Fish are "cold-blooded" and therefore assume the temperature of the water they live in. Water temperature is therefore the most important physical factor for fish survival and growth. Body temperature, and thus the water temperature, has an effect on level of activity, behavior, feeding, growth, and reproduction of the fish. Each species has its tolerance limits and optimum range. 

When water temperatures are outside the optimum range, fish body temperature will either be too high or too low and fish growth will be affected or the fish will even die. 

The ideal temperature for catfish is between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Adequate Water parameters: PH, KH, GH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate.

The main factor in successful fish keeping lies in the maintenance of good water quality; pH, ammonia and nitrite levels in the pond should be checked regularly, weekly in a new pond and fortnightly in an established mature pond.  The purpose of regular water testing is that poor water chemistry will cause stress to your fish.  

As the stress levels of fish increase their immunity can decrease making your fish susceptible to pathogenic infections and poor health, and an unchecked build up of nitrate will only fuel the algae growth in your pond. 

The NT Labs Pondlab 200 Multi-test Kit comprises over 200 tests of the 6 key parameters to test in your pond. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, GH and KH.  All the tests are liquid drop tests from a dropper bottle so all the drops are the same size.  All you have to do is add your aquarium water to the test tube and count the drops needed, simple.

The back of the box details clear pictorial instructions so you can see what to do from the start.  A booklet of colour coded stickers is provided to label both the test tubes and test tube lids so you always conduct the same test in the same test tube.  The reason for this? Well for example the GH reagents may contaminate the test tube and could give you a false reading if you were to conduct an ammonia test in the same tube.

a. PH (Acidity)

What is PH?

pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the water in your pond. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14. Very acidic water is pH 1 and very alkaline water is pH 14. Neutral water that is neither acidic nor alkaline is pH 7.

Why Test for PH?

Pond fish prefer the pH of the water to be between 7 and 8. Fluctuations outside these values can cause stress to the fish. If he water becomes too acidic or alkaline, the fish soon die. It is important to regularly test the pH as new ponds can occasionally rise in pH and older ponds tend to acidity over time. Also check the pH in the morning and evening as daily fluctuations are common especially in heavily planted or algae infested ponds.

What is the correct PH level in my pond?

There is no definite correct pH for pond fish although the ideal values lie between 7 and 8. In a healthy pond, the water pH will be the same as that of the tap water or spring water that fills the pond. It is important to ensure the pH is a constant value. Fish in water with unstable pH rapidly become very ill.

What do I do if the PH level is wrong?

pH adjusters such as KOI Care KH Buffer-Up will raise or lower the pH respectively. If you do need to adjust the pH of your pond, it is vital to do this slowly so as not to shock the fish. Change not more than 0.5 pH units per 2 days. Providing your tap water is of suitable pH, substantial water changes can correct a dangerous pH level. It is also important to check your KH of your pond water.  We also use calcite or soda ash to regulate the pH. In case the installed calcite fails to correct the pH, use 60 grams of soda ash per 1000 liters of water to correct the pH.

How do I do the PH test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take 5ml sample of pond water into the test tube. Add 5 drops of the pH 4-10 reagent; replace the test tube cap and mix. Compare the color of your sample to the color scale provided. Note that you can use 1ml sample and one drop of reagent as the case may be as per Naija style lol. This makes the reagent to last longer.

b. KH (Alkalinity)

 What is KH?

KH, also known as Total Alkalinity or Carbonate Hardness is a measure of the buffering capacity of the water in your pond. The buffering capacity refers to how well the pond can resist changes in pH.

Why Test for KH?

Established ponds tend to acidify over time. This decrease in pH is due to the release of organic acids by the fish and the release of acidic substances by the beneficial bacteria in the pond and filters. The buffer in the pond counteracts this change by effectively “mopping up” these acids preventing the natural drop in pH. If the pond was allowed to drop in pH, the fish would become very sick. Ponds with excessive algae can show large pH fluctuations on a daily basis. This change is prevented if there is a sufficient KH. It is important to regularly check and maintain the KH as it will eventually run out.

What is the correct KH level in my pond?

This test kit measures KH in degree dH (where one degree = 17.8ppm CaCO3). It is essential to maintain a minimum KH of 4 degree dH at all times. A KH of between 6 and 8 degree dH is more desirable.

What do I do if the KH level is wrong?

Check the KH level of your borehole water (or spring water, etc). If the level is above 6o dH, then regular water changes should keep the KH value in the pond topped up at a reasonable level. If the KH value is below 6o dH then perform water changes and boost the KH of the pond using Koi Care PH (Buffer) Up. To maintain a healthy KH level in your pond, use regular additions of Koi care Mediclay. If you have a low KH level, it is vital to regularly check the pH of your pond to ensure it has not dropped too low.

How do I do the KH test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take 5ml sample of pond water into the test tube. Take the KH reagent and add one drop, mix and the water sample should turn pale blue. Keep adding drops, one by one (remember to count the drops), mixing between drops until the blue color turns to yellow. The number of drops needed to bring about the color change is equal to the KH value in odH. Should the first drop of reagent turn the water sample yellow then the KH value is below 1odH and this is extremely dangerous to pond fish.

c. GH (General Hardness)

 What is GH?

General Hardness is a measure of the sum total of minerals dissolved in the water. Water can be either soft or hard depending on the amount of dissolved minerals (the more minerals, the greater the hardness)

Why Test for GH?

The dissolved minerals that make up the hardness of the water are all essential for the biological processes that occur in the pond. If the hardness is too low, then these processes cannot function sufficiently and the pond will begin to stagnate. Regular testing is essential as the GH will decrease as these minerals are used up by the pond life.

What is the correct GH level in my pond?

This test kit measures GH in degree dH (where one degree = 17.8ppm CaCO3). Maintenance of a level of at least 8odH will ensure the biological processes of the pond can continue to function. The ideal level lies between 10 and 15odH.

What do I do if the GH level is wrong?

Test the GH of your borehole water (or spring water, etc). If the level is above 8odH, then regular water changes should ensure the GH is topped up. If your borehole water is below 8odH then use Koi Care GH & Minerals Up. This can also be used to boost GH in healthy ponds. If the GH value is low then it is viral to check the pH and KH of the water as well.

How do I do the GH test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take 5ml sample of pond water into the test tube. Take the GH A reagent and add two drops, mix and the water sample should turn dark pink. Add one drop of GH B reagent and mix. Keep adding drops, one by one (remember to count the drops), mixing between drops until the dark pink color turns to blue. The number of drops needed to bring about the color change is equal to the GH value in odH. Should the first drop of GH B reagent turn the water sample blue then the GH value is below 1odH and this is extremely dangerous to pond fish.

d. Ammonia

What is Ammonia?

Ammonia is excreted by the fish as a waste product. It is extremely toxic to the fish and is broken down into less toxic nitrite by the beneficial bacteria in the filter of your pond.

Why Test for Ammonia?

Any ammonia present in the pond water will cause major health problems for the fish. Toxic ammonia can build up in ponds where there are no sufficient beneficial filter bacteria to deal with the total waste from all the fish in the pond. This situation can arise in new ponds, when new fish are added, when the filter bacteria has been disrupted (e,g during cleaning) or wrongfully administering dose in the pond.

What is the correct Ammonia level in my pond?

There is no occasion where any ammonia is tolerable in a fish pond. A level of zero mg/L (ppm) must be maintained at all times

What do I do if the Ammonia level is wrong?

If a level of 0.2 mg/l (ppm) is recorded, then add a filter booster such as Koi Care Filter Bugs. If a level above this is recorded then a substantial water change is essential. Change 25% of the pond water volume for 0.5 – 1.0 mg/l (ppm) ammonia and 50% - 75% for ammonia levels above this. Koi Care Zeolite will remove ammonia from pond water and can be recharged. If you do record an ammonia level in your pond then it is important to check other vital water quality parameters especially Oxygen, pH and nitrite.   

How do I do the Ammonia test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take 5ml sample of pond water into the test tube. Add 5 drops of the reagent Ammonia 1 and 5 drops of Ammonia 2 and 5 drops of Ammonia 3. Replace the test tube cap and mix. Wait 10 minutes then compare the color of the sample to the color scale provided. Zero ammonia is represented by a yellow color. Any hint of green in the sample indicates the presence of nitrite in the pond

e. Nitrite

                                                                                          

What is Nitrite?

Nitrite is produced by the beneficial bacteria in the pond and filters as they break down the harmful waste ammonia excreted by the fish. Although not as toxic as ammonia, nitrite is still very damaging to the health of the fish. Nitrite itself is broken down into nitrate which is virtually harmless to pond fish.

Why Test for Nitrite?

Any Nitrite present in the pond will be very damaging to the health of the fish. Toxic Nitrite can build up in the pond where there are no sufficient beneficial filter bacteria to deal with the total waste from all the fish in the pond. This situation can arise in new ponds, when new fish are added, when the filter bacteria has been disrupted (e,g during cleaning) or wrongfully administering dose in the pond.

What is the correct Nitrite level in my pond?

There is no occasion where any nitrite is tolerable in a fish pond. A level of zero mg/L (ppm) must be maintained at all times

What do I do if the Nitrite level is wrong?

If a level of 0.25 – 0.5 mg/l (ppm) is recorded, then add a filter booster such as Koi Care Filter Bugs or Koi Care Actzyme. If a level above this is recorded then a substantial water change is essential. Change 25% of the pond water volume for 1 mg/l (ppm) nitrite and 50% for Nitrite levels above this. Koi Care Zeolite will remove ammonia (and thus Nitrite) from pond water and can be recharged. If you do record a Nitrite level in your pond then it is important to check other vital water quality parameters especially Oxygen, pH and Ammonia.

How do I do the Nitrite test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take 5ml sample of pond water into the test tube. Add 5 drops of the Nitrite reagent. Replace the test tube cap and mix. Wait two minutes then compare the color of the sample to the color scale provided. Zero nitrite is represented by a colorless sample. Any hint of pink in the sample indicates the presence of nitrite in the pond. Any color forming after the two minutes should be ignored.

f. Nitrate

    

What is Nitrate?

Nitrate is produced by the beneficial bacteria in the pond and filters as they break down the fish toxic waste products (ammonia and nitrite).  Nitrate is not toxic to pond fish but excessively high levels can affect their reproduction.

Why Test for Nitrate?

Nitrate is a plant nutrient. The more nitrate is present the greater the potential for all plant growth. If insufficient other plants are present then algae will begin to dominate in the pond. Ponds with high levels of nitrate frequently have problems with algae and blanket weed.

What is the correct Nitrate level in my pond?

The level of nitrate in your pond depends on the nitrate level of the borehole water (or spring water etc) feeding into the pond. The number of fish and the amount of feed fed. High nitrate level will lead to algal growth. A nitrate level of zero is ideal and implies a balance between waste produced by the fish and nutrients taken up by the plant life. Remember this plant life does include algae!

What do I do if the Nitrate level is wrong?

Maintenance of a zero level of nitrate in a pond is extremely difficult. Most domestic water supplies have a low level of nitrate. The key to maintenance of low nitrates is regular water changes to dilute the buildup of nitrate. Also increasing the higher plant life in the pond should use up nitrate. This will lower the amount of nitrate available to algae.   

How do I do the Nitrate test?

Ensure the test tube is clean. Take 5ml sample of pond water into the test tube. Add 6 drops of the Nitrate 1 reagent and 6 drops of the Nitrate 2 reagent. Replace the test tube cap and mix well . Wait 10 minutes then compare the color of the sample to the color scale provided. Zero nitrate is represented by a colorless sample. Any hint of pink in the sample indicates the presence of nitrate in the pond.