Screening of the Bacterial Pathogens in Biofloc Technology based Aquaculture of the Ctenopharyngodon idella

Great economic losses in fish aquaculture occur under the unhygienic conditions of the fishponds due to bacterial pathogens. Currently, Biofloc Technology (BFT) has proved successful in wastewater management as well as in controlling pathogenic loads. Since this technology has greatly supported marine fish, very scarce information is available for its successful implementation in freshwater fisheries. Furthermore, the pathogens specific to the carp cultures under the BFT system have not been studied yet. The unique attempt has been carried out in the Microbiology Lab of the Zoology Department of GC Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan to screen bacterial pathogens in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella culture based on BFT utilizing agro-industrial wastes as a carbon source. The study confirmed the presence of bacterial isolates belonging to three genera namely Bacillus, Klebsiella, and Staphylococcus in water samples from three treatment groups. Bacillus species dominated over the pathogenic species i.e., Klebsiella and Staphylococcus in all treatment groups and is speculated to inhibit the harmful effects of Klebsiella and Staphylococcus species on the carp fish. This study is very important for the future designing of BFT based culture for freshwater fishes.