Aqua-feed, a new, natural feed additive launched by Bionetix International, claims to reduce the incidence of disease and mortality in shrimp, fish and other aquatic species, whilst improving weight gain.

Immunostimulants ß1,3-ß1,6 D-glucan, a natural mannan-based oligosaccharide and other key ingredients, are the base for the new product.
In developing its new additive, Bionetix has focussed on the issues that need to be addressed in aquaculture, particularly in shrimp culture, which has experienced serious losses in the last decade from diseases such as white spot, yellow head and vibriosis.

Mass mortality has also occurred in cultured fresh water shrimp due to pathogenic yeast, bacterial and viral infections. Studies point to environmental deterioration, which leads to degradation of immunity in shrimp, as the main cause.

According to Bionetix, enhancement of the immune mechanism of aquatic animals has been highly successful in preventing mass mortalities of shrimp caused by pathogenic infections.

Ponds used for fish or prawn farming are continuously contaminated with biomass, shells, faecal matter, etc. These reduce the level of oxygen available, and produce methane, ammonia, nitrate and H2S gases that are harmful to aquaculture and promote incidences of disease. Use of bio-converter technology can help to keep aquaculture ponds clean and improves aquatic life.

Use of Aqua-feed converts the degrading bacteria into gases into water, carbon dioxide and free nitrogen, some of which are consumed by zooplankton and the rest released into the atmosphere. This in turn, can significantly improve the soil and water quality of cultured ponds.

Bionetrix claims that the addition of Aqua-feed in shrimp and fish feed will upgrade the feed quality and may significantly reduce serious diseases such as white spot disease and vibriosis after consumption.