SimplyDicus.com
SimplyDicus.com
The Use of Salt in Aquaculture
Page 4 of 5 Pages: 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5

SUMMARY
Salt has many uses in modern aquaculture. Although FDA has not approved the use of salt as a "drug" to treat fish, the agency has designated salt as a compound of "low regulatory priority." Salt is inexpensive, readily available, and, when properly administered, safe for use in freshwater fish. Therapeutic uses for salt include parasite control, osmoregulatory stabilization, mucus production, and alleviation of methemoglobinemia in freshwater fish. Salt concentration should be based on intended use, duration of exposure, and tolerance of the species to be treated.


Table 1: Using Salt to Prevent Brown Blood Disease
  1. Check chloride concentration in pond. If < 20ppm, add salt as shown below.

  2. Determine concentration of chloride [(Cl-)] needed:20 - [Cl-] = [Cl-] needed

  3. Determine volume of pond in acre-feet(1 ac-ft = 43,560 ft3).

  4. For each ppm Cl- needed, add 4.5 lb salt per acre-foot of water.

    Example:

    1. A fish pond has a natural chloride concentration [Cl-] of 10 ppm.

    2. Chlorine needed = 20 -10 = 10 ppm.

    3. To determine volume, measure the pond. It is 100' x 200' x 6' deep = 120,000 ft3.120,000 ft3 / 43,560 ft3/ac-ft = 2.75 ac-ft.

    4. Amount of salt to add is:= [Cl- needed] x Vol (ac-ft) x 4.5

      = 10 x 2.75 x 4.5

      = 124 lb of salt needed.

Example 1: Salt should be added to a fish pond containing less than 20 ppm chloride.


Table 2: Using Salt to Control Brown Blood Disease
  1. Measure nitrite concentration ([NO2-]).

  2. Measure chloride concentration [(Cl-)].

  3. Determine chloride concentration necessary to meet the recommendation of 6 parts chloride to each part nitrite:6 x [NO2-] - [Cl-] = chloride needed.

  4. Determine volume of pond in acre-feet(1 ac-ft = 43,560 ft3).

  5. Add 4.5 lb salt per acre-foot for each ppm chloride needed.

    Example:

    1. [NO2-] = 10 ppm.

    2. [Cl-] = 20 ppm.

    3. [Cl-] needed = 6 x 10 - 20 = 40 ppm.

    4. Pond is 100' x 200' x 6' = 120,000 ft3.120,000 ft3 / 43,560 ft3/ac-ft = 2.75 ac-ft.

    5. Amount of salt to add is:= [Cl- needed] x Vol (ac-ft) x 4.5

      = 40 x 2.75 x 4.5

      = 495 lb of salt needed.

Example 2: To control mortality from brown blood disease, increase chloride concentration to 6 times that of nitrite. Add salt to increase chloride level.


more ...


   Website designed by: EthanCote.com © 2001-2004, SimplyDiscus.com. All Rights Reserved.