BactiQuant unveiled FungiCount, a new and innovative product designed to tackle and prevent fungal contamination in RAS aquaculture, hatcheries and aquatic feed production. Developed to provide a rapid and reliable means of fungal detection, FungiCount is a new solution to fish welfare within the aquaculture industry.

Prevention is always better than cure, and so FungiCount has been designed to quickly detect and generate results even in the earliest stages of fungal growth. Spores, hypha, and micro fragments can be detected, so fungal infections can be handled successfully before they even become a problem.

Morten Miller, chief innovation officer of BactiQuant, said that “the remediations of fungal contamination not only create a risk for fish welfare and increase mortality in hatcheries, but it can be incredibly costly to the companies involved. On Scottish salmon farms alone, losses are at least USD 6.5 million per year, which could potentially be avoided. Most fungi (e.g. Saprolegnia, Aspergillus, and Penicillium) are opportunistic, meaning that they can take advantage of any flaws in fish environments, and can affect fish welfare at any stage of development, including eggs, fry, fingerling, and of course, adult fish.”

”Just imagine what the early detection of fungal growth could mean for your operation and hatchery in particular, from the financial benefits and higher product quality to the reduced mortality and overall improved fish welfare. This is a prime example as to why monitoring water quality is not a luxury, it really is a necessity,” Miller said.

Renowned for its successful and innovative bacteria-detecting products, this is the first of BactiQuants products that will detect fungi within RAS, hatcheries, and feed production units. It comes as a much-needed tool, at the right time, with fungal infections being the second biggest cause for significant economic loss within the aquaculture industry, after bacterial infections.

Investing in fungal detection to help generate an early warning has now been made possible with FungiCount – with a full return on investment (ROI) being estimated at just a few months, made simply by reducing mortality by just one-seventh within a typical RAS production facility. The technology can help companies establish a baseline for normal, which can then be used to benchmark against operating routines or changed assumptions.

For more information, visit BactiQuant or contact Christina Katsaiti, cak@bactiquant.com.