This document discusses tilapia seed production and hatchery management. It describes different tilapia fry production systems including pond-based, hapa-based, and tank-based. It also discusses several popular tilapia varieties used for seed production such as FaST, GMT, GIFT, BEST, and MOLOBICUS. The natural reproductive cycle and breeding/fry production cycle of Nile tilapia are explained. Details are provided on hatchery design, water quality parameters, nursing of fry, transportation of seeds, and refinements to improve hatchery management and seed production.

1. Tilapia Seed Production &
Hatchery Management
EMMANUEL M. VERA CRUZ
Freshwater Aquaculture Center
Central Luzon State University

2. 2
Classification
• Pond-based
fry production system
• Hapa-based
• Tank-based

3. 3
What fry to produce?
 FAC Selected Tilapia (FaST)
 Genetically Male Tilapia (GMT)
 Genetically Improved Farmed
Tilapia (GIFT)
 GIFT derived:
 BFAR Improved GET Excel
 GenoMar Supreme Tilapia (GST)
 Salinity Tolerant:
 Brackishwater Enhanced Selected
Tilapia (BEST)
 MOLOBICUS

4. 4
FAC Selected Tilapia (FaST)
 1986
 Inter’l Dev’t Research
Center (IDRC) Fish
Genetics Project at
FAC, CLSU
 Genetically improved
tilapia using within
family selection
 24th generation of
selection
 Broodstock obtained
thru open access

5. 5
Genetically Male Tilapia (GMT)
 Late 1980’s to 1990’s
 Collaboration between
FAC, CLSU &
University of Wales
Swansea, U.K.
 Genetic manipulation
of sex chromosome
 Product of YY-male
technology
 Broodstock obtained
thru accreditation

6. 6
Progeny testing
XX♀ x XY♂ ▲XY♀ x XY♂
Feminization
XX♀ ▲XY♀ XX♀ XY♂ XY♂ YY♂
Progeny testing
XX♀ x YY♂
PROD’N of YY♀
▲XY♀ x YY♂ XY♂ XY♂ XY♂ XY♂ (GMT)
Feminization
▲XY♀ ▲XY♀ ▲YY♀ ▲YY♀ MASS PROD’N of YY♂
▲YY♀ x YY♂
Schematic diagram for the production
of YY males & Genetically Male Tilapia YY♂ YY♂ YY♂ YY♂
in Oreochromis niloticus
YY♂ YY♂ YY♂ YY♂

7. 7
Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia
(GIFT)
 Late 1980’s partnership
between Norwegian
Institute of Aquaculture
Research and nat’l fisheries
institutions (FAC, BFAR,
UPMSI)
 Increasing growth of Nile
tilapia through selective
breeding
 Parental stock: Egypt,
Ghana, Kenya, Senegal,
Philippines (Thailand,
Taiwan, Singapore &
Israel strains)

8. 8
BFAR Improved GET Excel
 Genetically Enhanced
Tilapia - Excellent strain
that has Comparable
advantage with other
tilapia strains of
Enterpreneurial
Livelihood projects
 Parental stocks: 8th
generation GIFT, 13th
generation FaST,
Kenya & Egypt strains
 Broodstock obtained
thru open access

9. 9
GenoMar Supreme Tilapia™ (GST)
 13th generation
 GIFT-derived
 30 – 40% superior in
terms of growth
compared to best
available market
lines
 Survival rate affected
by low temperature

10. 10
Brackishwater Enhanced Selected
Tilapia (BEST)
 Founder stocks
 Euryhaline spp: O. aureus,
O. spilurus & O.
mossambicus
 Best breeds of O. niloticus:
GIFT, FaST, YY males
 GIFT-derived

11. 11
Saline Tilapia MOLOBICUS
 Can tolerate 35 ppt
 Product of
crossbreeding &
backcrossing of O.
mossambicus & O.
niloticus
 BFAR-NIFTDC
(Dagupan City)

12. 12
Natural Reproductive Cycle of Nile tilapia
Nest building (♂) &
courtship
(1 - 5 days) Ovulation & spawning
(< 2 hrs)
Incubation (~10 d)
Nursing
(10-30 d)
Feeding & recovery
(2-4 wks)
• Breed at small size (<40g)
& young age (<6 mons.)
• Breeding is continuous

13. 13
Breeding/Fry Production Cycle
Conditioning
of breeders
Pairing
Collection of eggs/fry
Incubation of eggs &
rearing of fry
Breeders

14. 14
Identification of Male & Female
Anus
Genital Papillae
Male Female

15. 15
Pond-based Fry Production
 Breeders: 1-2/m2; 1♂:3♀
 Pond is fertilized or
complete feeding of
breeders
 Fry collection: 10-18
days after stocking by
scooping at sides of
ponds
 21 – 35 d prod’n cycle
 Seining of broodstock
for conditioning

16. 16
Hapa-based Fry Production
 Using net enclosures
made of polyethylene
netting materials
 Collection of fry from
females mouth or hapa
every 10-15 days, or
 Collection of eggs & yolk-
sac fry from females
mouth every 5-7 days
 Efficient but labor
intensive

17. 17
Structural Features of Hapas
Net
enclosure
Materials Size Stocking
density
Breeding Fine mesh 2.5 x 5 x 1 m (12.5
m2)
4 x 25 x 1 m (100 m2)
2 – 4 fish/m2
Conditioning CC 17 or
GG 14
3 x 6 x 1 m
5-7 fish/m2 (with
aeration)
10-15 fish/m2
(needs aeration
and exchange of
water)
Nursery Fine mesh 2.5 x 5 x 1 m (12.5
m2)
1000-1500 fry/m2
Rearing Fine mesh 2.5 x 5 x 1 m or
4 x 15 x 1 m

18. 18
Breeding Cycle…
 Conditioning
 Separation of
males from
females
 Given highly
nutritious feed
 1-2% BW once
or twice per day

19. 19
Breeding Cycle…
 Selection & Pairing
 Healthy
 Full abdomen
 Reddish/pinkish
abdomen
 Similar size
 2-4 breeders/m2
 3♀: 1♂
 Duration of breeding: 5-
7, 10 or 14 days

20. 20
Breeding Cycle…
 Collection of eggs/fry
 7, 10 or 14 days after
stocking of breeders
 Done early in the morning
or late afternoon
 Breeders are concentrated
at one end of hapa
 Eggs are separated by
stage; Yellow eggs (1-3
days old), Orange eggs (4-5
days old)
 Fry are collected using
nets

21. 21
Production Cycle…
 Incubation
 Downwelling water
flow incubator
 9 L jar -7000-10000
eggs
 Renders eggs gently
roaring each other

22. 22
Factors Contributing to Success in Artificial
Incubation
 Maintenance of good water quality
 Clean with low levels of infective organisms
 Should be inspected daily to remove dead eggs
 Age of seed
 Early stages are the most delicate periods
 Interval between seed collection should be >7 days
 Density of eggs
 Avoid egg clumping & damage to the egg chorion
 Constant rate of flow of water
 Breeding & maternal effects
 Egg size, clutch size & rate of fertilization are affected by
the size & age of female broodstock

23. 23
Production Cycle…
 Rearing of
hatchlings & fry
 Hatchlings or yolk-
sac fry in trays
 First swimming fry
in tanks or hapas
 1000 fry/m2

24. 24
Standard measurements and weights of tilapia fry,
post-fry and fingerlings at a given age
Stage Age
(wk)
Mean TL,
mm
Weight
(g)
Net size
number
Mesh
size, mm
Fry 1 10 0.01-0.05 38 1
Post-fry 2 15 0.06- 0.1 32 3
Post-fry 3 20 0.2 - 0 .4 24 4
Finger. 4 25 0.5 – 1.0 22 6
Finger. 5 45 1.5 - 2.0 17 9
Post
finger.
6 55 2.5 –3.5 14 11

25. 25
Actual sizes of tilapia fingerlings
Length Age after hatching Net size/ABW Ave pcs/kg
1.42 cm
2 weeks Size # 24
0.112 g
8,857
2.50 cm
3 weeks Size # 22
0.325 g
3,077
3.06 cm
1 month Size # 20
0.475 g
2,105
3.81 cm 1 month & 1
week
Size # 17
0.785 g
1,274
4.85 cm
1 month & 2
weeks
Size # 14
1.895 g 528

26. 26
Graders for fry & fingerlings

27. 27
Factors Important for Optimal Seed
Production
 Broodfish condition
 Nutrition (25-40% C.P.)
 Efficiency of seed collection
 Good artificial incubator & hatchery
design
 Good water quality
 DO, Temperature, pH, TAN, H2S

28. 28
Water Quality
Parameter Ideal Range
Temperature 25-35˚C
Dissolved O2 >5 mg/L
pH 6.5-9.0
Ammonia <0.05 mg/L
Nitrite (NO2) < 0.5 mg/L
Nitrate (NO3) less toxic than
NO2
H2S <0.001mg/L
CO2 <50 mg/L

29. 29
Nursing of Tilapia Fry
 Must be nursed in fine mesh hapas with
at least 0.5m depth
 Difference in temp. between transport
water & water in the nursing unit should
be less than 1˚C
 Fry are vulnerable to predation & sensitive
to water quality changes
 Early nursing - 250 fish/m2
 Provided with complete (40-50% CP) or
supplementary feeds
 Up to 2-3 cm size
 Advanced nursing - 100 fish/m2
 To produce larger fish

30. 30
Transportation of Seeds
 Condition to ensure successful transport:
maintain sufficient O2
 Keep the water at low temperature
 Fish should be conditioned first without feeding
to avoid their excrement soiling the water (min.
of 36 hr without feeding)
 Larger fish has greater O2 rqts.
 Fish fed artificially are less robust than those fed
naturally
 Shorter transportation time will allow greater
stocking rate
 Transport should be taken in cooler times
 In hauling box: filled not more than 70%
 Wooden boxes warm up more slowly than metal
 Plastic bag: filled not more than 20%

31. 31
Guide on Number of Seeds per Bag
Size Hours of
Transportation
Number per bag
24 16 – 20 1000 -1500
22 16 – 20 650 -900
17 16 – 20 500
14 16 - 20 200 -300

32. Refinements in Hatchery
Management
32

33. Program Leader/Project Leader
Emmanuel M. Vera Cruz, PhD
Project Staffs
Jose S. Abucay, PhD
Eng. Zaldy Bartolome
Research Assistants
Eddie Boy T. Jimenez
Bethzaida M. Apongol
NATIONAL TILAPIA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Program B: Innovative approaches in Nile tilapia culture
Project 2: Refinements in grow-out and hatchery
management of Nile tilapia

34. AQUASHADE

35. Complete

36. Top

37. 50%

38. o 2m x 1m x 1m breeding hapas
o Sex ratio: 1male:3 females
o Stocking density: 4 breeders·m-3
o Fry were collected after 15 days

39. Highlights
 Shading can reduce water temperature by
as much as 4.2 C during the hottest
period of the day
 Shading can increase spawning rate by as
much as 28 times (mean: 2.8% vs 77.8%)
during hot season
 Shading can increase seed production by
as much as 75.5 times (mean: 143 vs
10803) during hot season

40. Nursing fingerling for higher
growout yield
 Problem: only around 30% survival rate
during growout
 Solution: growing fingerling for 30-45 days
to achieve larger size post fingerlings prior
to stocking
40