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Effects of Intermittent Exposure to Therapeutic Levels of Formalin on Growth Characteristics and Body Condition of Juvenile Rainbow Trout
Author(s) -
Speare David J.,
Macnair Neil
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of aquatic animal health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.507
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1548-8667
pISSN - 0899-7659
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8667(1996)008<0058:eoiett>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - rainbow trout , juvenile , biology , zoology , body weight , appetite , fish <actinopterygii> , weight gain , feed conversion ratio , salmonidae , physiology , fishery , endocrinology , ecology
The effects of twice weekly exposure to formalin (200 mg/L in a 1‐h static bath) on juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (57.4 g initial weight) were assessed in a completely random, matched‐pairs, 12‐week growth trial. Growth rates, appetite, feed conversion, and body condition index of the fish were not significantly affected by formalin treatment after 6 and 12 weeks. There was also no evidence of a cumulative effect of formalin treatments over time, because the similarities between treated and untreated groups of fish persisted over the 12‐week trial. Formalin‐treated fish had significantly better fin condition and a lower incidence of corneal opacity than did untreated fish. This study showed that formalin, in a 1‐h static bath at 200 mg/L repeated twice weekly, can be used as a disease prophylaxis regime with no negative effects on growth.