Effect of a Peracetic Acid-Based Disinfectant on Growth, Hematology and Histology of Juvenile Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The effects of a peracetic acid-based disinfectant product (Aquastart (R)) were assessed on some hematological parameters, histological aspects and skin bacterial load of rainbow trout, likewise bacterial load of the rearing tank water. A total of 180 healthy rainbow trout weighing 124.65 +/- 10 g were divided into two groups, each in three replicates in flow-through tanks. First group was exposed to Aquastart at 8.9 ppm for 30 min and second group was considered as the control. The fish were then reared for 60 days prior to sampling for hematological and histological studies. The lowest bacterial load level in both water columns and trout skin were observed in the treated trout (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, no significant impact on growth performance was recorded between treated and control fish. The immunocompetent cells population size in control fish were significantly lower than treated fish (p < 0.05). Histologically, no evidence of abnormality was seen in the gills, kidney, and liver tissues of treated fish. These results showed that application of Aquastart at 8.9 ppm is safe for use in flow-through tanks farming rainbow trout.