The major Catfish disease that can destroy Catfish

 Venturing into catfish farming is one of the most lucrative agricultural livestock business. A lot of catfish farmers are really making a lot profits from there catfish farm. But one the major challenge most catfish farmers are facing are the disease that destroy the catfish. On this article we are going to look at some of the disease that destroy catfish.

Some of the major disease of Catfish

The following are some of the major Catfish disease that can destroy Catfish:
1.   Catfish crack head disease: Crack head disease is the most common catfish disease in ponds. The particular cause of this disease is not yet understood unlike earthen ponds and natural water bodies. But a lot people has said that adverse water quality due to over feeding is the main cause and also unbalanced nutrients in the diet of the food of the Catfish can also be the cause.
The following are the symptoms of the disease on affected Catfish;
-   Distended abdomen due to septicemia and hemorrhage.
-   Occasional exopthalmus (pop eye).
One thing about this disease is that it can be detected at early stage, you will see the affected catfish showing reddish lateral line on the skull between the two air chambers, as soon as this symptoms is observed in some of the Catfish during sampling, feeding should be substantially reduced and the pond water should be replace.
The Catfish will recover after some few weeks then feeding can be increased little by little.
2. The water quality disease: One of the major causes of suffocation and mass mortality in pond is Oxygen deficiency. It occurs when the weather suddenly becomes hot, or the air temperature rises and reduces the solubility of the oxygen.
How to prevent it and treat it:
In the area of the ponds, make sure that excess muds are removed after each culture period. Catfish tanks should be line-washed at the rate of 225-275kg1ha after each culture period, aerators may be used to increase oxygen level.

3. The Gas bubble disease: The Gas bubble disease is caused by oxygen saturation in the water resulting to rapid increase in algal photosynthesis. Small bubbles accumulate on the Catfish, intestines, skin, and filaments causing the fishes to float.
How to Prevent and treat it:
One of the ways to prevent and treat this disease is the addition of fresh water and fertilization to the ponds, this will curtail the incidence of the oxygen super saturation and gas bubbling.
4. The running horse disease: The running horse disease is another disease that is common in catfish farm, some of the affected Catfish usually swim violently in groups around the side of the pond.
How to prevent it and treat it:
Make sure that the stocking density of fry is control by draining part of the Catfish tank water every other day.

5. The Anemia disease: Some of the affected Catfish will be black with big head and small body because of the overcrowding and food shortage.
How to prevent it and treat it:
-   Try as much as possible to avoid over-crowding.
-   Try and ensure adequate feeding.

6. The Gill rot: The Gill rot is caused by bacteria called flexibacter columnaries. This particular disease really affects all the different level of catfish like fingerlings, juvenile. The following are the symptoms of the disease:
- Black gill filament covered with mud or mucus.
- Gill ulcerates drip off.
- Inflammation and hyperemia are visible inside the opercula.
How to treat it:
You can apply a Table salt (Nacl) at a concentration of 2-2.5% into 10-15 in 20litres of water.