The ornamental fish trade transports over 1 billion fish annually to domestic, public, and private aquaria, with a current total value estimated at GBP 11 to 22.5 billion globally. One of the biggest threats to the industry is infectious diseases. Even though various chemical treatments have been used extensively and effectively in the past to combat disease, many such treatments have been banned, creating the need for alternatives. To improve health, the most efficacious current treatments need to be combined with optimal conditions to promote fish welfare. Here, a survey was undertaken to assess the most common treatment practices employed by hobbyists, retailers, and other professionals and the factors determining the selection and efficiency of the treatments. From 350 participants (mostly UK-based), hobbyists purchase more natural products compared to retailers, who rely on synthetic-based treatments. Retailers apply prophylactic and curative treatments and take more precautionary steps to avoid economic losses. Furthermore, whereas both hobbyists and retailers closely monitor water quality, only retailers treat fish at a specific time of day. When dealing with infectious diseases, the treatment of choice and associated factors, such as chronotherapy, need to be considered in order to reduce disease susceptibility and infection.
Arapi et al. (Tue,) studied this question.