Use of Common Salt to Treat Ichthyophthiriasis in Australian Warmwater Fishes

Abstract

Abstract Four species of Australian warmwater fishes were treated for ichthyophthiriasis with 5 g common salt/L. Juvenile silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus), golden perch (Macquaria ambigua), Murray cod (Maccullochella peeli), and catfish (Tandanus tandanus) recovered from infestations of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis within 2 weeks. All fish in the control treatments died. The treatment eliminated the theronts and trophonts from all host fish by day 7 within the temperature range 19–26°C and by day 14 within the temperature range 11–18°C.