1. Incubator in aquaculture
Presented by:
Md. Obaidul Haque (ASH1502059M)
Md. Shahadat Hosen (ASH1502058M)
Jahid Hasan Shahin (ASH1502016M)
Dept. of Fisheries and Marine Science
Noakhali Science and Technology University
Sonapur, Noakhali-3814
2. Incubator:
An incubator is a device simulating fish
incubation by keeping Eggs in a good
water flow rate, mixing the eggs with a
balance DO, and oxygen flow in a good
condition and hatching the egg in a
artificial way.
3. Purpose of incubator
To ensure healthy survival it is
necessary to take proper care of
the eggs by putting them in
suitable incubators.
4. Requirements of the developing fish eggs
Adequate oxygen
Adequate temperature ( e.g. 20–22 degree celcious for common carp)
Clean and plankton-free water
Removal of metabolic wastes (CO2 & NH3)
Same flow of water
Shade to protect ultra-violet ray
5. Common names
The common names of the incubator in other terms include
the following :
Breeding machines
Hatching machines
Artificial incubation equipment
Egg breeding equipment
Egg hatching equipment
6. Types of incubator
Incubators commonly used in Bangladesh-
1. Hatching tray
Features ( rectangular, continuous water
flow, Outlet provided with screen)
Advantages ( little space, easy access, easy
handle)
Disadvantages ( not suitable for carp eggs,
less amount of egg)
7. Types of incubator (contd.)
2. Circular incubator
Features (Continuous water circulation and
removal, easy access)
Size (Diameter- 2m- 4m, Depth -1m )
Advantages ( creates natural condition, proper
use of space, large scale production)
Disadvantages (Requires huge amount of water,
Costly& needs more space)
8. Types of incubator (contd.)
3. Vertical tray incubator
Features ( less space, same water can be used)
Advantages ( easy to handle, low cost, huge eggs
can be incubated)
Disadvantages (More chances of disease
contamination from one tray to another)
9. Types of incubator (contd.)
4. Jar incubator (or “Zug” jars)
These types of containers, used widely in carp propagation,
are the most commonly available and therefore used in most
hatcheries.
These incubators can be made from glass, plastic, perspex,
fibreglass, metal or linen. Glass jars of 5–15 1 can be specially
blown but, like perspex, are very expensive and may not be
available. Cloth or metal incubators are cheaper to construct
but it is not possible to visually inspect the egg or fry mass.
In these incubators water flows in from the bottom of the
container; the flow can be adjusted to suspend the egg or fry
mass in continuous motion in the water column.
10. Types of incubator (contd.)
5. Plastic bottle incubators
Set up the bottle as follows:
remove the screw cap and insert a suitable cork or rubber
bung, water supply tube and control valve;
fix in place, with glue or aquarium (silicone) sealant, a
fine-mesh bottom screen above the water inlet in the
base, which supports the eggs and allows the inlet water
to disperse evenly;
set it in a suitable frame, with overflow and water drain,
etc.
11. Types of incubator (contd.)
6. Incubation in hatching hapas
The hatching hapa, which generally measures 2×1×1 m, consists of two
chambers made of sieve cloth, one inside the other (Figure 38). The eggs
are spread on the bottom of the inner hapa, which has a mesh of 2–2.5
mm. The outer hapa is made of a still finer mesh to retain the larvae,
which on hatching fall through the larger meshes of the inner hapa into the
outer hapa. The egg shells and the dead eggs, however, remain in the inner
hapa. The hapasare generally fixed in open water bodies, where the
moving waters provide the required oxygen.
12. Types of incubator (contd.)
Other types of incubator across the globe-
1. Round-bottomed, down-welling containers
2. Trough-type incubators
3. Revolving barrel or drum incubators
4. Double enclosure incubators
5. Bucket incubators
13. Regulating the water flow during incubation
During incubation, regulate the water flow according to the
development phases of the fish eggs as follows.
A. During egg swelling
B. From initial cleavage to the end of the morula stage
C. From the blastula stage until the eyes of the embryos
become visible
D. From the eyed-embryo stage until hatching
14. Length of the incubation period
The time required for the fertilized egg to develop
into a fish larva varies mainly with fish species,
water temperature and dissolved oxygen content of
the water.
15. Causes of egg mortality during incubation
Oxygen deficiency
Unsuitable temperature
Injuries sustained during stripping or artificial fertilization
mechanical disturbances
due to attacks by bacteria, fungus (Saprolegnia), and
carnivorous crustaceans (Cyclops), or due to predation by insect
larvae or other animals.
The cyclopids hurt the egg shell by scraping it with their thorny
feet, while the insect larvae, such as chironomids, bite into the
shell with their mandible and thereby destroy the eggs.
16. Treatment of eggs during incubation
1. The crustaceans and insect larvae can be filtered out or controlled by
treatment with 1 ppm organic phosphoric acid ester insecticides.
2. The bacterial attack can be avoided by only using clean water in the hatchery.
3. Malachite green is commonly used against fungus infection. The infected eggs
are treated with it once every day. In cases of limited infection, the treatment
is carried out directly in the incubator (jar, funnel, or trough) with a 5 ppm
solution of malachite green for 30–60 minutes.
4. Treatment with formalin is also used against fungal infection, but the method
requires high precision and care.
5. A single treatment with tannin has proved very effective against fungal attack
under tropical and subtropical conditions. A freshly made solution of 5–8 g
tannin in 10 litres of water is used in this treatment.
17. References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incubator_(egg)
The artificial propagation of warm-water finfishes : A manual for
extension, E. Woynarovich, Scientific Adviser, Fish Culture Research
Institute, Szarvas, Hungary and L. Horváth, Chief Biologist, Warm-water
Fish Hatchery, Szazhalombatta, Hungary
Seed Production, G. A. Delince, D. Campbell, J.A.L. Janseen, and M. N.
Kutty, African Regional Aquaculture Centre, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
