Aller Aqua's Support Concept range includes feed for trout. Photo: Aller Aqua.

Aller Aqua claims feed can 'outcompete' pathogens

Feed producer Aller Aqua has launched a new feed concept based on a blend of functional ingredients that it says promote growth and survival in fish as well as disease resistance and prevention.

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According to the Danish company results are achieved by balancing the microbial community in the fish gut. Beneficial bacteria are preserved in the fish, to outcompete pathogenic bacteria.

The feeds included protect the fish continuously and do not cause side effects or exhaustion, boosting long-term effectiveness, and no prescription or withdrawal time is required.

Stefano de Dominis: Farmers have been "very positive" about the product.

Beneficial bacteria

Dr Stefano de Dominis, veterinarian at Aller Aqua Italy, said: “Customers were experiencing continuous problems and wanted an efficient way to improve fish health to deal with the major issues they were facing.

“Aller Aqua’s solution has been to develop a series of feeds to promote fish health and directly preserving beneficial bacteria to help outcompete pathogenic bacteria – the Aller Aqua Support Concept. The farmers who have tried the product are very positive and impressed by the long-term effectiveness. Some report that they have never experienced such healthy and robust fish. Additional benefits of having healthy fish is lowered feed conversion ratio and higher growth, leading to higher farm turnover.”

In a press release, Aller Aqua said the concept had been thoroughly tested for more than two years, both at its research centre and under real-life conditions on more than 30 fish farms in varying geographical locations, and different types of farming systems.

Hanno Slawski: Targeting disease pressure.

Extensive testing

Dr Hanno Slawski, group R&D director for Aller Aqua Group, said: “The Support concept targets disease pressure in aquaculture. The initial tests and documentation showed that we were on to a good concept, and we knew that we had to carry out extensive testing to document the effect of the feed on different species and farming systems.

“The positive reception of the feed in the markets has confirmed the findings. The benefits of the feeds in the Aller Aqua Support concept are applicable at all stages of the fish life cycle covering all critical periods and events, and the concept is therefore also applied to all fry feeds. This means that it has an effect at this very crucial stage in the fish life.”

Currently, the Support concept is available for trout, catfish, carp, tilapia, sturgeon, sea bass and sea bream, and is applied to Aller Aqua’s fry- and selected grower feeds.