HEALTH

Fish and shrimp diseases rarely strike out of nowhere. In a healthy pond or tank the pathogens are already present at harmless levels — an outbreak is what happens when water quality slips, stocking density climbs, or an infected batch of fingerlings opens the door. This section is a practical guide to recognising, preventing and managing the fish diseases that cost aquaculture farmers the most — across tilapia, shrimp, catfish and sturgeon — and the husbandry mistakes that let them spread.

What this section covers

You'll find field guides to the bacterial, parasitic, viral and fungal diseases farmers meet most: streptococcosis, motile Aeromonas septicaemia and columnaris in tilapia; vibriosis, AHPND/EMS and white feces syndrome in shrimp; enteric septicaemia in catfish; and the bacterial and fungal problems of sturgeon. The thread running through all of them is the same — most disease is downstream of water. Prevention rests on two pillars: keeping water quality inside safe ranges and enforcing strict biosecurity, which is why reliable water testing, aeration, filtration and UV disinfection do more to protect a crop than any medicine cabinet. Browse the full library on our aquaculture blog.