Disinfection and fish

Tools for bio-security

The main concerns, aside from general biosecurity, for pond fish are Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) and Koi Herpes Virus (KHV). The latter has appeared in Japan and caused major losses of fish which has meant global Koi producing regions have been affected.

Everything used on a fish site should always be physically cleaned first. We recommend using a solution of Ark-Klens to clean away large amounts of physical contamination.

Working with fish multi-filament nets present special problems for disinfection due to the weave. This has been shown to require special efforts, as fish mucus has a way of entering the weave of the net as it moves under the weight of the fish. This can take pathogens with it and then they can be effectively hidden from disinfection. We suggest after use they be dropped into a tank and left overnight in a combination of Ark-Klens and Virkon Aquatic. Virkon Aquatic contains tensides to help the disinfectant penetrate but the special problems of nets bear extra effort. This mixture should be rinsed off before nets are used.

Virkon Aquatic is safer to use than Tamodine-E around fish, as the name suggests the carrier material has been selected for suitability for fish. So our general recommendation is to use Ark-Klens as a cleanser, basic disinfectant and tenside surfactant for routine use. Virkon is effective against all viruses. A good routine would be to use Ark-Klens in net dips/washes and for clean downs, followed by terminal disinfection with Virkon Aquatic.

Please take a look at the links found at the bottom of the page which will give more information on Virkon Aquatic along with Ark-Klens. If you have any questions please get in contact with us via the contact page web form.