Use of Sodium Chlorite to Combat Anchorworm Infestations of Fish.

Sodium chlorite was safer and more effective than Dylox in eradicating lernaeid anchorworm parasites from freshwater fish. When the chlorite ion concentration, [ClO2 –], was maintained within the range of 20–40 mg/L, it was nontoxic to a wide spectrum of freshwater fish, and the treatment eradicated anchorworm from these fish in seemingly permanent fashion. This ion can be used to treat large water systems and the beneficial effects appear to be long-term. Other disease organisms (e.g., Epistylis spp.) are also eliminated by such treatment. A colorimetric method for monitoring the chlorite ion concentration of water samples is described. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]