Accounting for Water Temperature during Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment of Channel Catfish Eggs

Abstract

The effect of water temperature on the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a disinfectant for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus eggs was examined at 24°C and 28°C. Eggs at each temperature were treated with H₂O₂ at 0, 100, 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/L as a daily 15-min bath. Mean hatching success at 24°C was greatest (P > 0.05) for eggs treated with 250 and 500 mg/L H₂O₂, hatching success tending to increase with increasing treatment concentration between 100 and 500 mg/L. The opposite effect was observed at 28°C: hatching success was greatest (P < 0.05) for eggs treated with 100 and 250 mg/L H₂O₂, hatching success tending to decrease with increasing H₂O₂ concentration between 100 and 500 mg/L. The results of this research, together with previously published results, demonstrate that there is a negative correlation between H₂O₂ concentration and water temperature with respect to the optimal efficiency of H₂O₂ as an egg disinfectant and suggest that there is an increased toxicity of H₂O₂ at higher temperatures. Careful consideration of temperature is necessary when disinfecting channel catfish eggs with H₂O₂.