How do I manage water quality and disease risk in vannamei ponds?

Disease is the biggest risk in vannamei, so prevention through water management is everything. Maintain proper salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity and ammonia, run aeration well, and keep stocking density at a level your aeration and skill can support rather than overstocking. Pond preparation, good seed, biosecurity to keep out carriers like crabs and birds, and not over feeding all reduce disease. White spot, running mortality syndrome and other diseases can cause sudden heavy losses, and there is often no cure once an outbreak starts, so the focus must be on prevention. Do not self medicate or use banned antibiotics, since these cause export rejection and legal trouble. For any disease signs, contact your aquaculture extension officer or Fisheries department at once for guidance.