A. ZAIKOV, T. HUBENOVA and P. VASILEVA
Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Varna - Branch Plovdiv, BG - 4003 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
ZAIKOV, A., T. HUBENOVA and P. VASILEVA, 2006. Treatment of infected with Ichthophthirius multifilis paddlefish (Polyodon spathula Walbaum). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 12: 310-314
The article points out the results obtained by investigations carried out
on treatment of paddlefish Polyodon spathula, infected with ichthyophthirius.
The invasion with ichthyophthirius has been registered in paddlefish belonging to two age groups. The first one are fingerlings (2860 pcs with an average body weight of4.32+2.62 g) and the second are summerlings (83 pcs with an average body weight of 52.62+16.70 and 140 pcs with an average body weight of 77.26+18.24 g). In the first group the treatment was carried out with a solution of sodium chloride at a concentration of 3 ppt (0.3%) and duration of the treatment period of 10 days. In the second group - totally 223 pcs of summerlings a short-term bath was carried out with a solution of sodium chloride at a concentration of 50 ppt (5%) with different treatment periods - for 5 minutes (140 pcs) and for 3 minutes (83 pcs) at water temperature of 14°C without airing.
The investigation showed that to fight ichthyophthiriosis spread among fingerlings of paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) with weight of 4.32+2.62 the long-term bath with a solution of sodium chloride at a concentration of 3 ppt, treatment period of 10 days and water temperature of 20 -22°C could be successfully applied. The repeated short-term baths with a solution of sodium chloride at a concentration of 50 ppt, treatment period of 3 min and water temperature of 14°C are an efficient means for treatment of one-summer-old paddlefish invaded by ichthyophthirius.
Key words: paddlefish, ichthyophthiriosis, treatment, salt, disease