Are there any target animal safety concerns with use of hydrogen peroxide?
As with any aquaculture drug or chemical, improper use may potentially lead to ineffectiveness of treatment. Underdosing, toxicity from overdosing, and pathogen tolerance or resistance (the disease-causing organism may become tolerant or resistant to treatment) are some of the potential problems that could render treatment ineffective. Some species of fish have been shown to be very sensitive (see Are Any Species Sensitive to Hydrogen Peroxide? below). For species not listed on the 35% PEROX-AID® label, test a small subset of fish before treating the entire diseased population. Species differences, differences in fish age and size, as well as differences in water quality parameters and other factors may alter hydrogen peroxide efficacy and fish toxicity. Reduced growth rate has been reported in fish treated with high doses of hydrogen peroxide (Speare et al. 1999). In addition, damage to the gills has been reported in some species when hydrogen peroxide has been administered at high or
