Hatchery management for Pond-based Tilapia Culture

1. Republic of the Philippines
Department of Agriculture
BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES
National Freshwater Fisheries Technology Center
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

2. Introduction
• Simplest and most common method
of fingerling production
• Breeders are stocked into ponds and
allowed to spawn naturally
• Fingerlings are collected 21 days after
stocking of breeders
• After 45 to 50 days, ponds are
completely drained & reconditioned

3. Advantages of Pond-based
Hatchery Method
• The management is very simple
• The pond serves as spawning and rearing pond, thus the
fingerlings produced are larger
• The operational cost are low
• No supplemental feeding is required at high rates of
fertilization

4. Disadvantages of Pond based Hatchery
Method
• The number of fingerlings produced per square
meter is lesser
• The fingerlings produced are not of the same size
and needed to be graded upon harvesting

6. Pond Preparation
A. Pond draining
• Collect all stocks
• Eliminate predators
& unwanted species
• Remove excess mud & dirt

7. B. Pest Elimination
• Totally eliminates
unwanted species
• Spray more in paddies
with water

8. • Treatment (7-10 days prior to stocking) to eliminate
predatory fish or other pests
Common pond treatments:
a. Tea seed cake/powder
b. Rotenone
c. Tobacco dust/powder
Pest Elimination…

9. • TEA SEED CAKE/POWDER
- safe ,reasonable and easy to use
- includes N, P, K compositions
- eliminates unwanted fish & harmful insects
- detoxify quickly in water
- leave no cumulative adverse residues
- economical

10. • ROTENONE
- odorless chemical serve as insecticide, piscicide and
pesticide
- small quantities are necessary
- occurs naturally in the roots and stems of several
plants such as jicama vine plants

11. • TOBACCO DUST POWDER
- organic fertilizer cum ‘molluscicide’
- promotes the growth of ‘lablab’ and use to eliminate
snails and other pest
- environment- friendly (free from chemical residues)

12. C. Pond Washing
• Efficient way of removing
effect of poison
• Wash ponds after 2 days
after poisoning
• One foot deep at the
center of the pond
• Water is left for a day

13. D. Leveling of pond bottom
• To slope towards the drainage structure
• To ensure complete drainage
• Cultivation makes sub-surface nutrients available
at the surface for the growth of natural food

14. E. Pond drying
• Helps eliminate toxic gases
• Essential especially when mud deposit in bottom
is already thick
• Stabilize soil colloids & oxidizes organic matters
that enhance growth of natural food

15. • 10-20g/m2 or 100-200
kg/ha
• Neutralizes acid soil
• analyze pond soil at least
once a year
F. Application of Lime
(as needed)

16. Methods of Controlling/correcting acidity
1. Leaching - wash or flush the pond
bottom to reduce acidity
- effective in slightly acidic soil
2. Liming -corrects soil acidity
-promotes the release of soil
nutrients

17. G. Application of Fertilizers
Organic (Chicken manure)
• 1,000 kg/ha and 2,000
kg/ha per month for old
pond and new pond,
respectively
• Broadcast evenly before
or after pond filling

18. Inorganic (16-20-0)
• 100 kg/ha and 200kg/ha per mo.
for old and new pond respectively
• apply through broadcasting, hanging sack
method during or immediately after pond
filling

19. H. Installation of Screens
• Should be replaced and
repaired
• Free of wood, trash or any
other blockages
• To prevent escapes of stocks
and entry of unwanted fish
species

20. I. Water filling
• filter all incoming water
with a fine meshed net
• maintain the water level
at a depth of 0.4m- 0.8
meter

21. Conditioning of Breeders
• After the breeding cycle (simultaneous w/ pond
preparation)
• To restore energy depleted during the breeding
process
• Breeders are conditioned in separate ponds by sex
• Required duration is 2 weeks before stocking
• Stocking density- 3-5pcs./m2
• Complete diet feeding rate (2-3% FR)
• Frequency of feeding (2-3 x a day)

22. Conditioning Area
Conditioning Hapa ((5x10m)
Conditioning Pond

23. Selection of Breeders
• Papilla categorization
• Selection of ready to spawn (RS) & swollen (S)
female breeders
READY TO SPAWN (R) SWOLLEN (S)

24. Selection ….
• Selection of ready to mate
male breeders
• Stocking of male breeders
follow 1-2 days after stocking
of female breeders

25. Stocking of Breeders
• Check or open the mouth of
female breeders before
stocking
• Done early in the morning or
late in the afternoon

26. Method Sex ratio Stocking rate
Weight method 1:3 200-300 kg/ha
Set method
(1 set= 1 male: 3
females)
1:3 1 set per 5-7 m2
No. per unit area 1:3 1 breeder/ 2-4 m2

27. No. per unit area method
Based from the breeders average body weight
If the breeders are:
100grams-200grams 1pc. Breeder per 2 sq. m.
200grams-300grams 1pc. Breeder per 3 sq. m.
300grams-above 1pc. Breeder per 4 sq. m.

28. Routine Pond Activities
• Fertilization/dressing
Hanging
(Tea bag)
Broadcasting

29. •Feeding
- Breeders are fed 3 - 1 % of the
body weight with commercial
or formulated feeds

30. •Water Quality Monitoring
- Water temperature (25-30°C)
- Dissolved oxygen (>5ppm)
- Water level (0.4-0.8m)
- Turbidity (30-35cm)

31. • Weed Control
Mechanical (grass cutter)
Manual (using scythe)

32. • Check Damaged Water Lines and Screen

33. • Monitoring
 Activities of fish
 Presence of fry e.g. school of
fry
 Mortality occurrence
 Water inlet and outlet
 Growth of aquatic weeds,
dike erosion

34. Collection of Fingerlings
Materials Needed in Harvesting of Fingerlings
Seine Net
Trap Net
Seine Net

35. For breeders
For fingerlings
Tubs

36. Collection of Fingerlings
• Fingerlings are collected 21 days after stocking of
breeders by seining (A-net)
• Ponds should be seined once per harvest period

37. • Conducted weekly
• Early in the morning or
when the weather is cool

38. Collection of fingerlings

39. Hauling of Fingerlings for Conditioning &
Grading

40. • After 45-50 days, ponds are completely
drained and reconditioned for next
production cycle.

42. Dip net (materials use in fry collection)

43. Preparation for fry collection in pond (dip net)
Collection of fry 2-3 times daily (12-14 days)

44. 12-14 days fry collection using dip net

45. Fry collection in pond using dip net
(for transfer in nursery hapa/for grading)

46. Grading of fry collected

47. Stocking of fry in nursery hapa
Size of Nursery hapa: 5x10x1.5
Stocking Density of fry per sq. m.: 1,000 pcs.
Feeding
Feeding of fry: 20-30% body weight
Frequency of feeding: 4-5 times a day

48. • Seining/harvesting of fingerlings
1 cycle = 25-30 days

49. Data average in production of fry in pond
(using dip net/ 1 cycle per pond)
Area: 1,200 m2
No. of female breeders stock: 1,200 pcs.
ABW: 170 gm.
No. of male breeders stock: 400 pcs.
ABW: 180 gm.
Sex ratio: 1:3
Fry production: 420,500 pcs.
Fingerlings production before draining: 45,300 pcs.
Total production of fry/ fingerlings: 465,800 pcs.
Duration of Production: 28 days

50. Disadvantages of Hapa Based System
Hapa method requires more management effort
Incubating systems are capital intensive
Labor intensive
High risk of loss in high winds associated with typhoons
Needs expertise
Needs repair or replacement for damaged hapas
Clogging of hapas
brood fish in "hapa" are easy targets of poachers