Fish fungus killing my Barras!

ivansng

Well checked the barras this evening... not sure if it is normal for the body of the fish to appear like have white patches... Some fishes have them, some don't and some have them at different patterns... Is this normal for barra?? Or early signs of fungus??

barrabear

Yes Ivan that looks very similar to ours...bulging eyes, red around the mouth, white patches

Follow earlier salting advice which seems to be helping

jessy

IMHO the fish doesn't look sick yet....but is highly stressed and has the potential to get a major problem...those eye's aren't bulging they look about normal... and I don't see any redness around the mouth...

I have just been looking at my barra, and they are all induvidually different with simular characteristics.

jessy wrote:

Treat the fish in a salt bath of 30 to 35 PPT for 4 hours minimum (in a tub with aeration). Then adjust the pH of the system to about 7.5 (add acid) and increase the temp to 25 degrees.

Keep the salt as high as possible in the regular system until they are happy again, then you can return to normal salinity

Anthony Aris.
Hatchery Manager
Broome Aquaculture Centre
Kimberley TAFE
(08) 9192 9140
0488175395

Honestly...the fish come first and the plants second....salt as high as you can I believe...you will see an instant pick up in the fish like they are thanking you the cleansing benefits of salt.

when I have had hairy moments at the start of the new batch of fish I have now...I wouldn't even calculate the salt...as I work for a salt mine...I just dumped in bags of it at least 15 to 20 kg at a time...and after a few days....just bailed out 20 % of the water onto the grass....and looked after the barra that way.

jessy

ivansng

Did I search on the internet about white patches, etc... came up with white spot, skin fluke, etc... but it does not seem the same...

Found on the Queensland Fisheries, http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_14888.htm

Apparently, juvenile barras have scattered white patches on the side.... Similar to what I have got... not a fish expert, but what size barra is considered a juvenile considering barras can grow really huge....

jessy

consider yours just grown out of fingerling size :wink:

ivansng

jessy wrote:

consider yours just grown out of fingerling size :wink:

Sorry I am not great with aquaculture terms, but based on what I found out on the net, the barra I have are juveniles (not sexually mature according to the net)... so hence referencing the QLD website, the barras I have should have those white patches...

Am I right??

jessy

like I said to Anthony Aris today in an email....too many novis with too many idea's and not enough facts........I am like wise so I talk to the experts...flick him an email....ask the people in the know
Anthony.Aris@kimtafe.wa.edu.au

barrabear

Salt and left along makes a big difference...thanks jessy

:?:

noticed my cucumbers died today and lettuce not far behind, will all plants eventually die if i leave at this salt level for a few more days...finally started to get good growth but agree fish r the priorit here

jessy

how much PPm on the salt..........plants grow flower seed and die all the time...the fish are the amazing part of the system.....it ain't easy keeping your fish alive...believe me :roll:

TCLynx

What is the salt level? Tomatoes are pretty salt tolerant as I think are beats.

barrabear

about 8ppt...the plants (spring onions, tomotoes, straw) seem to be hangin in there but have wilted quite a bit....im gonna just leave it alone for now and do normal top ups

Daryl

Just remember normal top ups wont lower the salt level, only a water change will.

My tom, lettuce, silverbeet, radishes, and beetroot all handle salt well and I am running between 3ppt and 5ppt salt at all times
with my Barra and up to 8ppt after stress like moving or grading.

TCLynx

Salt will slowly get used by the plants but only very slowly. If you want to effectively lower salt levels quickly, you would have to do some water changes but you are probably better off continuing as you are.

jessy

.

salt is a tonic...the best thing for the barra's......Actually that could be the problem....do you know what level Golden Ponds salt their tanks ???

That could be the answer to your problems :wink:

just a thought....but if the barra came from high salinity to nothing......they just wouldn't have transport as a stress....but also desalinitastion...........

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