USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

UMESC Publications

Analytical verification of waterborne chemical treatment regimens in hatchery raceways

Rach, J. J., and Ramsay, R. T., 2000, Analytical verification of waterborne chemical treatment regimens in hatchery raceways: North American Journal of Aquaculture, v. 62, no. 1, p. 60-66.

Abstract

Chemical therapy for control and prevention of fish diseases is a necessary and common practice in aquaculture. Many factors affect the accuracy of a chemical treatment application, such as the functioning of the chemical delivery system, calculation of chemical quantities to be delivered, water temperature, geometry of the culture unit, inlet-outlet structure, the influence of aerators, wind movement, and measurement of water volumes and how rates. Three separate trials were conducted at the Osceola Fish Hatchery, a facility of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, evaluating the accuracy of flow-through hydrogen peroxide treatments applied to 1, 3, or 9 raceways that were connected in series. Raceways were treated with 50 or 75 µ L/L of hydrogen peroxide for 30 min. Chemical concentrations were determined titrimetrically. The target treatment regimen was not realized in any of the applications. Chemical concentrations dropped and exposure times increased with each additional raceway treated in series. Single introduction of a therapeutant to more than three raceways in series is not recommended. Factors that interfered with the accuracy of the treatments were culture unit configuration, aeration, and flow rates. Several treatment modifications were identified that would result in more accurate chemical treatments.

Keywords

Hydrogen-peroxide treatments, toxicity, tanks, flow, fish, eggs