Catfish hatchery and management

AUTHOR: ODUTOLA YISA ABIODUN Page 1

 Catfish hatchery and management

CATFISH hatchery and management

Are you one of those still find it very hard in catfish hatchery and
management processing? Are you already in the business and still find it hard
to breed successfully? Are you one of those still looking for a farm or still
thinks it only when you attend a practical section that you can get things
right in breeding processing? Are you of those who still believe you cannot
start hatchery/catfish breeding on your own? The fact is that to be successful
in catfish breeding, you need guides to check on, during the hatchery
process, now the opportunity is right here. This book on hatchery and
management process is comprehensive, well explanatory, well detailed,
word chosen and word descriptive enough to guide you

AUTHOR: ODUTOLA YISA ABIODUN dtm

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 Catfish hatchery and management

About me:

It a great pleasure to introduce myself to you once again, I still remain Mr.
Odutola Yisa Abiodun (dtm) aka FISH SOLUTION, Admin and creator of
CATFISH SOLUTION PLACE, a social media platform, where we help farmers
achieve their dreams FREE OF CHARGE. The MD/CEO of A.G WHALES NIG, an
entrepreneurship and an aqua culturist
A.G WHALES NIG is a registered company since 2008 we are into aquaculture,
catfish breeding, grow out, feed milling, packaging and branding, sales, real
estate, construction and marketing.
I am a product of university of Lagos, were I study accountancy, I have
worked with lot of media houses and audit firm, where I have accrued lot of
experience in accounting and financial planning.
I am also a business man, I love business and hope I can build a business
arena with like mind people around me. Am also I distinguish toast master
from the united state of America, President Space setter toastmaster
international .etc

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 Catfish hatchery and management

I am married with kids. I have involved in lot of businesses and failed and still
come back to build the much needed success around me , this made me think
from my experience to guide incomer the path to greatness in the business
world. Setting up a business goal is far off passing the school tutelage.
I find out most people are going into business without having a plan or
setting a goal. I wonder why you setup a multi million naira business without
having a guide and plan. Some even don’t know or have practical knowledge
about the business.
So I made up my mind to train million of people in Nigeria on how to get
guides and deep understanding about a business before investing in it, most
especially the youth, how to become independent and be a BOSS, it is
absolute very STUPID/FOOLISH to still believe in pay jobs and employee. It
time to get things straight and right.

My father’s once said:

“Only a FOOL will involve in buying and selling, but NOT EVERY FOOL can
produce”……..Alh jimoh Odutola

You are not going to die with your business; neither are your investors. This
is why you need to prepare an exit plan not just for yourself but also for your
investors.

My dream is to liberate Nigerians from poverty. But I alone cannot do it. I

need you to be part of this voice.
I started my first business before I was 16. I have been involved indifferent
aspect of business, so I think you will want to learn, need guide and know the
Secrets of success, then read this book and more of my business training
books and I will see you at the top.

TABLE OF CONTENT

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 Catfish hatchery and management

1. Introduction to hatchery
2. Different types of fish
3. Why clarias gariepinus remain the most widely stocked by farmers
4. Requirement for a suitable hatchery water
5. Require table to look out for in a good water condition for hatchery
6. Water parameters for hatchery operation and correction
7. Basic hatchery, farm operation management
8. Hatchery materials
9. Hatchery procedures
10. Identification of male and female fish
11. Identification of suitable brood stock (spawners)
12. Reliable source of brood stock suitable for breeding purposes
13. Brood stock care and handling
14. Injection solution
15. How to prepare pituitary gland injection solution and injection
administration for female brood stock
16. How to preserve your pituitary gland
17. Requirement for pituitary gland extraction
18. How to inject the female brood stock
19. Time interval between the latency, incubating and the water
temperature
20. How to extract the milt, strip the injected female fish, fertilize and
spraying the eggs on the net
21. Guiding analysis on a gravid brood stock egg production
22. Fries management/handling to fingerlings
23. Feeding the newly hatched catfish larvae
24. Strategy of feeding (option 1)
25. Strategy of feeding (option 2)
26. Transferring the fries to the nursery pond from the incubating pond
27. Water control and management of the nursery pond
28. Handling of the fries in the nursery pond
29. Feeding of the fries to juvenile/jumbo. Age, fish, size, fish weight, fish
size
30. Medication, preparation and application
31. Important note of feeding your fries
32. Breakdown of the fish growth, feeding activities and fish activities from
hatchery to fingerlings
33. Things to check out for when fish are not growing
34. Fact to know about catfish hatchery
35. How to harvest fingerlings for sale or stock
36. How to harvest and count fingerlings
37. Advice

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 Catfish hatchery and management

Bonus
38. Simple way to culture zooplanktons
39. Method to keep your hatchery water temperature constant
40. Method to keep your hatchery room temperature constant
41. Method to keep your hatchery room temperature constant

1. INTRODUCTION TO HATCHERY

Fish farming otherwise known, as fish culture is a branch of aqua culture,

simply means the rearing of aquatic animal. This is different from fishing like
catching or harvesting fish from the wide. Catfish is been catch from the wide
and nurse before, thank god for the help and introduction of artificial
breeding. Catching fish from the wide they evolved an alternative means of
making fish available to man, since the quantity and quality of fish in the
wide has been compromised by over fishing, ever increasing human
population and incessant water pollution amongst many other factors, which
has made fishing a very different and expensive task and fish farming
imperative.

Breeding process also known as hatchery, the process of spawning male and
female brood stock to produce fingerlings. It divided into two major
subareas, if you don’t get both areas right in catfish hatchery, I beat you can
never make success. Those areas are the:

Spawning process and the

Fries management process

It is imperative to take both processes very serious, because failing on any of

the process will affect the other process, failing to check and balance those
process results to failure.

The spawning process involves the inducement of the female catfish in order
to induce eggs, with is then fertilized, incubated and hatched thereafter. The
newly hatch fish are called fries. The fries are then matured for between 4 to
5 weeks to turn fingerlings, you can achieve 3 to 4 weeks depends on your
management and hatchery facility. Fingerling is mostly common for buying
and stocking for farmer to rise grow out operations.
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 Catfish hatchery and management

In between the nursery and the secondary operation is the primary

operation, the primary operation involves the growing stages from fries to
post juvenile/jumbo stages. Find the fries growing table:

There can then be nurtured for between 4 to 6 months into grow out/ table
size catfish suitable for sale and consumption.

These operations, especially the nursery/hatchery operations as explained

above, may appear simple but in the truth sense, it is a very complex and
taxing operation that requires a high degree of care and attention, most
especially its technicalities

2. DIFFERENT TYPES OF FISH

Although they are more than 100 species of the genus of catfish but the most
common ones are:

Clarias gariepinus

Heterobranchus bidorsalis

Those are the common catfish species that are rear able in West Africa.

They are still other species of clarias like

1. Clarias anguilarus
2. Clarias senegalensis
3. Clarias lazera
4. Clarias mossambicus
5. Clarias gariepinus

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 Catfish hatchery and management

I will be talking about the major and popular of all the clarias species, which
is the clarias gariepinus, Clarias is the major species you can easily see in the
west Nigeria, Heterobranchus in the south.

It is very easy to differentiate between clarias gariepinus and heterobranchus

and as well as heteroclarias, of among the 3 different species, using their
dorsal fin.

As for clarias gariepinus, its dorsal fin, runs from immediately after its skull
and continues uninterrupted to its tail.

Heterobranchus dorsal fin, runs from immediately after its skull and
continues inwards midway its full length, where if breaks off and continues
again uninterrupted to its tail.

Heteroclarias has its dorsal fin, runs from immediately after its skull, and
continues uninterrupted tp its tail.

Heterobranchus hybrid or heteroclarias.

Hybrid is the cross between clarias and heterobranchus, either male or

female, crossing of the 2 different species is a process called hybridization,
the cross breed are commonly called heteroclarias. Hybrid as more tissue,
meaning is as more flesh than the other 2 (heterobranchus and clarias
gariepinus). Heterobranchus is testier than the other 2. And it is more
immune to diseases than the other 2.

Hybrid and clarias as more surviving rate than heterobranchus because,

heterobranchus are more carnivorous. Thou all the species are reared with
great profit if you follow the different procedures of farming them.

Clarias is best used for melange because you can store them in large
quantities in a lesser space with low oxygen because of their ruggedness.

You can best use hybrid for grow out/table size because it grows to a large
size faster and has more tissue, means more weight and more profit that is
only when you can get pure hybrid.

All the fish species as there advantages, but important is rearing them the
right and recommended ways.

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 Catfish hatchery and management

1) picture (catfish species identification)

Side view

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 Catfish hatchery and management

2) Picture (catfish species identification)

Up view

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 Catfish hatchery and management

3. WHY CLARIAS GARIEPINUS REMAIN THE MOST WIDELY

STOCKED BY FARMER

 They grow as big but give equal sizes of weight more than
heterobranchus and heteroclarias in a short period of time, usually
between 5 to 6 months for grow out.
 They perform relatively better than the other species within a
restricted space and as such: you could stock more within a given space
than the other.
 They have huge commercial value, as a result of their fast growth,
heavy weight, and speed of maturity within a short time them the
other species.
 They are more tolerant to environment; meaning they perform better
in either concrete or earthen pond or other system of pond.
 Heterobranchus and heteroclarias grow very large in size; but it takes
around 10 to 16 months of stocking
 Heterobranchus and heteroclarias perform better in large scale most
especially earthen pond, the contrary is the case if they are raised in
other surface pond, the stocking density is very low
 Heterobranchus and heteroclarias are voracious feeders and as such
cost more to feeding
 Heterobranchus and heteroclarias mostly enhance their growth with
natural feed
 Clarias gariepinus is more rugged than either of them and is more
preferred by large scale buyer.

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4. REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL HATCHERY

WATER

As we all know that in other to make a successful hatchery, they are some
requirement that must be put in place and checked. The major requirement
is WATER.

WATER PARAMETERS AND QUALITY: - the most important factor to

fish is water, that is where they live, eat, excrete, reproduces and grows. So
the success of your hatchery will depend on the quality of your water. In
quality water will stress, weak the natural defines mechanisms of the fish
and will likely affect the normal body functions; this will reduces the feed
intake and affect the fish growth. Good water source for the hatchery most
be adequately enough and be replaced to maintain a healthy environment
for the fish. It is very important to have enough water to ensure at least 60%
of the pond water replaced daily. Your water must be fresh water and clean
water it must be of higher quality, unpolluted and uncongested. Fish hatched
in an unchanged water tend to release some hormones called pheromones
this have the potentials to reduce the immunity of the other fish or stunt
there growth. The source of your water should preferably from borehole,
well or other good water source but free from chlorine, iron, salt or other
chemicals and contaminants. It is not advisable for you to use public pipe-
borne water from the water boards or other water treatment plants, where
chlorine and other chemicals are used for water treatment.

Benefit of hatchery water replacement

 It replenishes the dissolved oxygen (DO) as we all know that DO is

needed for feed metabolism and fish growth
 It dilutes pheromones and enhances fish growth
 It gently removes dissolved solids and nitrates in the pond water
 It flushes away bio-degradable materials in the pond water and reduce
pond water bacterial load and disease

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Fish hatchery requires a year’s round unpolluted water supply. Your water
should be of a good quality with neutral potential hydrogen (PH) of
about 7, water alkalinity (CaCO3) and hardness of more than 25ppm.

Harder water of 100ppm or more have more advantage because it supports

higher productivity. Alkaline and harder waters are well buffered and with
their mineral and nutrient content(hydrogen cycle), provide the best
conditions for high fecundity, high hatching rates and boost the survival and
growth of fries and fingerlings.

For a better hatchery you can use a filtering system for your water filtration
before introducing to your hatchery ponds.

You can also make use of a UV light to sterilize and kill circulating bacteria in
the water before going into the hatchery ponds.

3) Diagram (UV light)

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 Catfish hatchery and management

Your water should be tested regularly with a reliable water test kit; this kit
should be in your hatchery to test your water regularly.

Water test kit diagram 1

4) picture (paper type pH kit )

5) picture ( liquid pH kit )

6) picture (digital pH kit)

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 Catfish hatchery and management

If you are using well water for your hatchery unit it is advisable to store it in
your storage unit for 24 hours to drive off the carbon-dioxide to increase the
oxygen present and generalized the water condition. And before you pump
the water for hatchery let it passes through the filter unit.

5. Require table to look out for in a good water condition

for hatchery

Table 1:1

No Chemistry Value
1 Dissolved oxygen DO >5 mg per litres
2 pH 6.5 – 8.0
3 Carbon dioxide < 10 ppm
4 Ammonia < 0.02 ppm
5 hardness 50 – 400 ppm
6 Nitrate < 0.25 ppm
7 Magnesium Trace for buffer
8 Turbidity 25 – 35 cm
9 Total iron 0-0.5 ppm
10 Salinity <1 ppm
11 Temperature 26 – 30 oC

Get your comprehensive water analysis from a laboratory close to you and
get a water test kit to go about your regular water check (diagram 1)

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6. WATER PARAMETERS FOR HATCHERY OPERATION

AND CORRECTION

Water pH - this is the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the water or soil in

the fish environment.

The pH scale ranges

 Acidic 1 – 6
 Neutral 7
 Alkaline 8 – 10

7) picture (pH level)

Optimal pH for catfish growth is ranges from 6.5 – 8.if the PH is lower or
higher, than the fish will be stressed and will not grow will, a pH value
between 4 – 5 causes’ severe stress to the fish, reproduction ceases, and low
spawning result during hatchery. The water pH value ranges 5 – 6.5 results to
slow growth with fish coping with the stress. Water pH value ranges 6.5 – 8.5
is the desirable ranges for fish reproduction and growth, water pH value
between 8.5 – 10 results in slow growth with fish coping with stress. And

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lastly water pH value between 10 – 11 causes severe stress to fish

reproduction ceases, spawning poor hatchery. A sudden change in pH of
more than 1 unit, especially from a favourable zone to an unfavourable zone
(for example sudden change from 7 to 5) may lead to death in fries and
fingerlings. Usually, if water is left open to the atmosphere for 48 hours or
more, pH may likely to correct itself.

CORRECTION OF PH

You can use agric lime/calcium carbonate to increase low pH, you can also
add Bi – carbonate of soda (soda ash).

DESCRIPTION

Tie the carbonate in 5kg sacs and drop the sac in your storage tank. You can
drop 1pc of 5kg sac in a 2000liters tank.

You can also treat with oyster shell; you can get from any feed mill or agro
store around you. With the process you put 10kg in a 2000liters storage tank.

Application of Bi – carbonate of soda(soda ash) add 0.1 grams to buffer I

litres of water for 1000liters you use 100grams.

Another calculative analysis- buffer with a constant ok K = 30. If your water

pH is 4 and you want to increase to 7. That is by the unit of 3 (7-4=3). Them
multiply the unit (3) by the constant K=30; (3 x 30 = 90). With this you can
add 90grams in 1000liters of water.

Fish can become stressed and die when exposed to extreme pH, even if the
changes occur within a pH ranges that is normally tolerated.

Dissolved Oxygen – this is the amount of oxygen present for fish to

breath in the water. Though water is a liquid and gas exist in between its
molecules. It is the gaseous oxygen in the water that the fish uses to breath.
Fish breath is affected by factors like over stocking, waste feed through
overfeeding, temperature, carbon dioxide content, dead or decaying fish,
excrete and excess algae boom
Fish will be stress/weak when DO is low and will start dropping (die). When
DO is less than what is required, the higher the dissolved oxygen content, the
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 Catfish hatchery and management

lower the carbon dioxide content. That is why it preferable to leave your
hatchery water for a while before introducing to the fish, most especially if
your water source is from the borehole. This is because the water may
naturally contain a high level of carbon dioxide which will not allow the fish
to breath, but if you allow it to stay a bit in the storage tank before usage;
the carbon dioxide content will increase. When your carbon dioxide is low:
 The fish come near to the surface of the water to gasp for air and stay
in a vertical position
 Hanging their barbells on the water surface
 Persistent bubbles on the water
 Rapid gill movement
 Fish stress
 Lower immunity
The DO level in the culture medium should be maintained at a minimum of
5mg/L
Most pond water are either from surface water or ground water, Surface
water like streams are open to the atmosphere and are saturated with
oxygen due to gas exchange on its surface area.
Ground water like borehole has no contact with atmosphere and is usually
low in dissolved oxygen but high in carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide (optimal range <10ppm)

High level of carbon decreases the oxygen carrying efficiency of the fish
blood haemoglobin.
After hatchery the hatchery may be successful and fries been active for the
first 3 days, and started lying at the hatchery pond base as the days roll over.
This act is caused by the high Co2 in the water and if care is not talking, the
fries will start dropping/die between day 8 and day 13.

CORRECTION OF DISSOLVED OXYGEN PRESENT IN HATCHERY

WATER

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 Catfish hatchery and management

 Run a flow through for the fish

 You can also make use of an aerator
 Get rid of the bad water and replace with clean water(fresh water)

Ammonia – this are the protein waste consume by the fish, fish excrete
ammonia into the pond water, excess feed by the fish and fish mortality,
this build up ammonia to the water. Ammonia is toxic to fish. We have 2
types of ammonia the ionized and the unionized. NH4+ represent ionized
(ammonium) and NH3 represent unionized (ammonia gas). The present of
unionized form (ammonia NH3) is extremely toxic with bad smell, while
ionized form (ammonium NH4 is harmful).

Fish can only tolerate unionized ammonia up to 0.5mg/l and things

beyond that will kill the fish. Fish that expose to the form are prompt to
bacterial infection, have low growth and quicker to get stressed.
Ammonia (NH3) gets higher in the afternoon during sunrise when pH level
and temperature is higher; during this period fish feed intake should be
reduced. The higher the ammonia content, the lower the dissolved oxygen
content.

Correction of ammonia

 Run water flow through for the fish because frequent water change
will stress and harm the fish.
 Use salt at the rate of 1grams of salt to 1 litres of water
 Adding of Zeolite or activated carbon at the rate of 1ppm to the
source water will help in trapping some of the ammonia present in
the water

Temperature – temperature is the total degree of the weather change in

an environment either hot or cold, affect the fish metabolism. Water
temperature affects all its chemical and biological processes, hence it has a

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 Catfish hatchery and management

direct effect on the oxygen demand, food requirement, food conversion

ration and the growth and the rate of organic decomposition of the fish.

The higher the temperature the rate of food consumption and metabolism,
the solubility of oxygen in water also decreases as temperature increases,
when all things been equal, if fish don’t respond to food, it may be because
of low temperature. This mostly occurs before the sunrise/morning, and then
you just notice your fishes are not really responding to feed.

When low temperature occur in your newly hatch fish/fries you start noticing
some of your fries lie down somehow inactive, at the bottom of the pond .

The optimum water temperature for growing catfish ranges between 24 – 30

oC, but the fish can survive at temperatures from just above freezing to
about 38 oC , growth is reduce at temperature lower than 18 oC , while
feeding actives stops at temperature below about 10 oC. I will advise you as a
breeder and a fish farmer to get yourself a thermometer of 0 – 100 oC , for
you to know and control your farm environment temperature.

8) picture (thermometer)

Hardness - this is the concentration of metal ions in the water alkalinity

and hardness are strongly related as calcium magnesium, bicarbonate and
carbonate ions are derived in equal quantities from solution of limestone
deposited.

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Find the classification of water hardness for your corrective

purposes

Table 1:2

No Hardness Volume
1 Soft 0 – 75mg/L
2 Moderately hard 75 – 150 mg/L
3 Hard 150 – 300 mg/L
4 Very hard Over 300 mg/L

The desirable levels for fish culture fails within the ranges of 20 – 300mg/L

CORRECTION OF HARDNESS

When the total hardness and alkalinity are low, they can be raised by the
application of agriculture lime. High alkalinity can be reduced by missing with
50% soft water to the desired level.

Note that soft water is best used for hatchery, while grow out farm can do
well with hard water because of the calcium needs for the growing fish.

Salinity – this is the measure of the salt content in the fish pond water.
Around 77% of the salt in blood is sodium and chloride while the others are
bicarbonate, potassium and calcium. Water salinity impacts water
conductivity as well as osma-regulation in fish.

Lower salinity level neutralise nitrite but high level above 10g/litre will kill
the fish.

Turbidity – this is the measure of light penetration into the water, and this
depends on phytoplankton and suspended organic matter in the water.
Normal transparency for pond water is usually between 25cm to 35cm.

If the transparency of the water in more than 35cm, the water may not be
fertile enough and requires addition of manure/fertilizer, but if the

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transparency is less than 25cm , it means the water is too turbid, during this
time fresh water should be added to flush the system. Zeolite can remove
heavy metals like mercury, lead cadmium, nickel, which can cause food
poisoning to the fish.

7. BASIC HATCHERY FARMING OPERATION

REQUIREMENT

LAND
The land suitable for catfish hatchery farming should be smooth and a dry
land, well secured and free from erosion or flooding, especially during the
raining season. For a start, a land space measuring 30 feet and 15 feet or
even a little less will be okay. You may however need a bigger land space
when the scale of your operation in becoming bigger and increasing in
production.

HATCHERY POND HOUSE

Your hatchery house structure should be optional, and of different preferable

design. Your design must be design based on your hatchery
strength/capacity, if you are setting up in a small scale, you can make a
design of about 12feet by 12feets or more. Your construction can be with
concrete block, wooden ply boards, wooden with tarpaulin, iron rod with
tarpaulin and planks and zincs roof for shade and to protect your hatchery
from rain, direct sunlight, controlling of weather and protection from
predictors and poachers

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9) Picture ( hatchery house)

HATCHERY POND
Your pond can be from two and above depend on your cash at
hand/capacity. It can be constructed with blocks, gravel and cement
(concrete hatchery pond), wood stand and tarpaulin (vat/ tarpaulin
hatchery), fibreglass hatchery pond, bath up hatchery pond, plastic hatchery
pond (you can get any size and of any design from any plastic production
company like GeePee), Plastic white tank (can be cut into 2 used for
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hatchery/incubating pond or can be used in full as a hatchery and nursery

pond). You can also use baff running your inlet and outlet for free flow of
water and 25liters yellow keg can also be cut into 2 and use for a successful
hatchery system as well. Once again hatchery standard depend you your
financial strength and cash availability. I will be using a size of 10 inch depth,
3 feet’s width and 8 feet of length. Note that this could be smaller or bigger,
depending on your standard and scale of operation. The floor of the pond
should be made slope gently, in such a way that water could easily be
discharged from the outlet via the plastic pipe.

10) picture( white tank half cut hatchery setup)

11) Picture (concrete hatchery pond setup)

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NURSERY POND
On like the hatchery pond, the nursery pond is where you transfer your fries
after 1 week of hatchery, into the nursery pond will raise your fish from fries
to juvenile size. The pond can also be from 2 upward depending on your scale
of operation. It can also be constructed with blocks, gravel sand cement,
wooden vat, fibreglass, plastic ponds most be bigger than the hatchery pond.
I will be using a size of 20 inches depth, 8 feet width and 10 feet length. This
could house 10,000 fingerlings at a stocking rate of 125 fingerlings per square
feet for wooden vat and 12, fingerlings per 1 litre in plastic ponds

This stocking rate could be used to determine the size of your pond: relative
to the quantity of fingerlings you want to produce and handle or depending
on your scale of operation. The floor should be made to slope gently, in such
a way that water could be discharged from the outline through the pipe.

12) Picture (concrete hatchery and nursery pond)

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13) picture (flow through outlet pipe)

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8. HATCHERY MATERIALS

 Spawning mop: coloured mosquito net ( either black, blue or green) or

rice bag in loose stands like a sponge (kaka ban)
 Razor blade
 Hormone (ovuline, overprim etc or pituitary gland)
 Syringe (2ml or 5ml) and needle
 Cutter, scissors (optional)
 Small glass or aluminium mortar and pestle (or use water bottle cover
and syringe head) ( optional if you are using pituitary gland as
hormone)
 Table spoon and table salt
 Tissue paper (white)
 Handkerchief and hand towel
 Small plastic plate (deep)
 Weighing scale (optional)
 Plastic buckets
 Clean water(borehole or well)
 White (saffron) coloured mosquito net
 Scarf material (optional for pituitary gland)
 Aluminium rail (optional for pituitary gland)
 Metal hanger ( optional for pituitary gland)
 Thread and needle (optional)

14) Picture (hatchery materials)

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The hatchery materials above includes materials for pituitary gland extract

15) picture (hatchery materials)

Simple hatchery materials using ovuline

9. HATCHERY PROCEDURES

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PREPARATION OF HATCHERY POND

Your requirement will depend on the type of system you are using , as a
backyard breeder, who’s wildest dreams and aspirations is to start small and
grow very big at a shortest period. For my illustration on this hatchery
process I will be using white plastic pond as my hatchery and nursery pond
(refer to picture 10). My pond preparation will base on my faculties and this
will be a guide to any type of hatchery facility you intend to abide/use.
Requirement
 Water
 Spawning mop: mosquito net frame with aluminium plate
 Plastic pond
 White filter Muslim cloth ( to close the outlet pipe from fries wastage)
 Tarpaulin

16) Picture (hatchery net)

17) Picture (white filter net)

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Wash the pond thoroughly and examine it to ensure that there are no
potholes, cracks or leakages. After washing with brush, sponge, make sure
the pond will well clean, then mix salt and water ( 5 tea spoon in 2 litres
water) use to clean the pond and leave for 2 hours to allow sundry, then fill
the pond with water to like 5 (inches) level from the floor of the pond. Then
place the net in the water close to the inlet pipe, if you are using more that 1
net , separate it from each other and use a white filtered Muslim cloth to
block the outlet from inside, this process is to avoid flushing out of the fries
through the plastic pipe water outlet:

10. IDENTIFICATION OF MALE AND FEMALE FISH

The female catfish particularly the one with eggs is easily identified because
it has a bigger stomach compartment, while the male has a smaller stomach
compartment. Besides, the genital (sex organ) of the male fish is long while
that of the female is round.

18) picture (identification of male brood stock fish)

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19) picture (identification of female brood stock fish)

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11. IDENTIFICATION OF SUITABLE BROODSTOCK (SPAWNERS)

Female
In identifying the female catfish, suitable for hatchery purpose, you may
discover they have enough eggs but it is preferable using those with eggs of
nothing less than 1kg body weight with golden green, brown or golden in
colour in other to ensure better result. Gently press out the egg check if it not
clusters when trying to press it. And if you press and start bringing out blood
immediately, which means the fish is not ready yet. Eggs should ooze out
easily when press. Also note that the older and bigger the brood stock, the
higher the proportion of shooters (fast growing and healthy fish) you will get
from the fingerlings population.

20) picture( female brood stock no blood)

Fish press, egg coming out and do not cluster and reddish abdomen with
golden colour

21) ( female brood stock with trace of blood)

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Fish press, egg coming out with trace of blood not good for use

Male

And for the male fish, the genital, which is located immediately below the
anus, must be longer than the upper end of the anal fin. Furthermore, you
can also test from mature of fish suitable for breeding, using the colour of
their genitals. The genital should be thick and long while touching the
adipose fin and the tip of the genital should be reddish. Check if their genitals
(male and female) are reddish in colour. Also checking the barbel should be
thick and long. The male are very active and aggressive. The skin most be
hard when press but not soft. If they are then, they are suitable.

22) picture (male brood stock genital identification)

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12. RELAIBLE SOURCE OF BROODSTOCK SUITABLE

FOR BREEDING PURPOSES

You should use a brood stock from your pond or buy from a trusted fish
farmer, especially from an experience catfish breeder. Don’t buy a cross
breed (hybrid) such as hetero clarias as broodstock for hatchery purposes.
Heteroclarias is a hybrid derived by cross- breeding a (hetero – branchus with
clarias gariepinus), as hybrid it not suitable for hatchery purposes. You can
also get your brood stock from the wild during raining season.

13. BROODSTOCK CARE AND HANDLING

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Keep the brood stock separately in different plastic container; fill with good
and fresh water. If you buy your brood stock from other farmer put it to rest
in your farm water for around 10 days before usage. Cover the container well
must especially at night, support with a heavy object like stone, because they
get more aggressive at night. If you fail to do this, they will injure themselves
and this injury can affect the hatchery result.

23) Picture (brood stock container)

24) Picture (brood stock covered)

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14. INJECTION SOLUTIONS

Any of the following can be used to inject the female fish

 Pituitary gland ( from either a male or female catfish)

 Ovaprim, ovuline ( industrially produced cow urine in 10ml bottle
 Human chrionic gonadotropin HCG (early morning pregnant woman
urine, as from the fifth month of pregnancy

25) Picture (ovuline hormone)

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15. HOW TO PREPARE PITUITARY GLAND INJECTION

SOLUTION AND INJECTION ADMINISTARTION FOR FEMALE
BROODSTOCK

The pituitary gland can be extracted from either the male or female catfish,
whether up to 6 months or not. But the body weight of the fish (donor)
whose pituitary gland you are using must be slightly more than that of the
female fish (recipient) you are injecting. As such, you can use one or two
fishes whose weight is slightly more than that of the female fish as donors,
the injection dose is 2ml of syringe of the grinded pituitary gland water
solution.

16. HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR PITUITARY GLAND

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After extraction from the male or female catfish (donor) you can preserved it
in a mentholated spirit for as long as 8 months with I have practically
observed.

PRESERVATION PROCEDURE-

Get an empty bottle with lip of a (ovuline hormone), put 5 ml of mentholated

spirit (ask from any pharmaceutical store around you) extract the pituitary
gland and put into the mentholated sprit already inside the bottle, cover the
lip and keep in a room temperature for as long as needed.

17. REQUIRMENTS FOR PITUITARY GLAND EXTRACTION

 Sharp knife
 Mature male or female fish
 Handkerchief or hand towel
 Tissue paper
 Syringe (2ml or 5ml) and needle
 Cutter
 Small mortar or pestle or used water bottle cover and syringe head
 Table spoon and table salt
 Empty water bottle (1.5 or 1liters)
 Weighing scale (optional)
 Clean water
 Plastic bucket

PROCESS

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 Put one level tablespoon (10g) of table salt into the clean water bottle
of 1.5 or 1L and fill the bottle with fresh and clean water.
 Then cut of the head of the donor fish and remove the lower soft part
of the head gently as not to break the skull of the fish. Then , dress the
skull gradually, removing all the succulent parts and then use the
cutter to prize open the brain compartment where the pituitary gland
is located and extract the gland carefully, using pincers or the tip of a
knife.
 Put the gland into the mortar or water bottle cover
 Take the syringe and draw 2.3ml of the salt water solution. Draw the
solution back pulling the syringe head backward and thereafter use the
syringe head to grind the pituitary gland (alternatively, you can use the
glass rod as pestle for grinding in the place of the syringe)
 Then put the salt solution in the syringe into the grinded pituitary
gland and mix together with the syringe head or pestle (glass rod)
before finally drawing with the syringe, all available liquid from the
gland mixture and adjust it to 2ml before injecting the fish

Should in case you are using ovaprim/ovuline or HCG use a syringe dosage of
0.2ml for fish weighing less than 500g and less, And for fish weighing 600g
and above, use a dosage of 0.5ml of syringe.

26) Picture (ovuline hormone injection preparation)

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27) picture (collection of pituitary gland)

28) picture (cutting of the fish head either male or

female)

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29) picture ( extraction of pituitary gland)

Cutting of the fish head either male or female

30) Picture ( split the head)

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31) Picture (cutting the head with knife)

32) Picture (extracting the pituitary gland)

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33) Picture (identifying the pituitary gland)

34) Picture ( picking the identify pituitary gland)

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35) Picture ( removal of the pituitary gland)

36) Picture (pituitary gland preserved in a mentholated

spirit)

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18. HOW TO INJECT THE FEMALE BROODSTOCK

Place the female brood stock in a flat and smooth plank, with the syringe,
hold the dorsal fin of the female fish and count 3 fingers from the head
down, locate the third dorsal fin finger and inject either at the left or right
hand side of the dorsal fin at exactly four (4mm) millimetres from the third
finger sideway (vertical or horizontal) ( / or \) and rub the area gently.

37) Picture ( fin 3 count of the dorsal fin to inject)

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38) Picture (injecting right side\)

39) Picture (injecting left side\)

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40) Picture (injecting right/)

41) Picture (injecting left/)

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After this, place the fish in a plastic container like black baff, that will be
conductive for them, the container will have some little space not to stress
them. the baff should be half fill with fresh water and cover it carefully with
an aerated lid, sack well tight, planks, secure the lid with a heavy stone, iron
or concrete block so as to prevent the fish from jumping out of the container.
Or you can isolate the injected female brood stock in an empty tank with
little water allowing the water to cover their body. (Refer to picture 23)

Note; - you are to put just 1 in each tank if you inject more than 1 fish,
remember don’t put much water for this will give the fish strength and will
be aggressive to jump out at any available silent moment.

Then wait for between nine (9) and ten (10) hours before stripping, this
period of waiting is called the latency period or time. It is the period (time)
between when the fish is injected and when it is ready for stripping or
stripped.

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LATENCY TIME: - this is the time interval between injecting and stripping
of the female fish

INCUBATION TIME: - this is the time interval between the fertilization of

eggs and hatching in relation to water temperature.

Table 1:3

19. TIME INTERVAL BETWEEN THE LATENCY, INCUBATION AND

WATER TEMPRETURE

NO WATER TEMPRATURE LATENCY TIME INCUBATION TIME (h)

1 20 21 57
2 21 18 46
3 22 15.5 38
4 23 13.5 33
5 24 12 29
6 25 11 27
7 26 10 25
8 27 9 23
9 28 8 22
10 29 7.5 21
11 30 7 20

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20. HOW TO EXTRACT THE MILT,STRIP THE INJECTED FEMALE

FISH, FERTERLIZE AND SPRAYING THE EGGS ON THE NET

REQUIREMENTS

 Sharp knife/scissors and razor blade

 Male and female brood stock
 Handkerchief
 Tissue paper
 Semi –dip plastic/stainless bowl/well water)
 Plastic cup or small bowl
 Torchlight if in the night
 Clean water (borehole)

PROCEDURES

Open the female brood stock container to examine if it is ready enough for
stripping. In other for you to know that the female fish is ready for stripping,
observe the stomach to see if it is already swollen. if that is it, then it is ready
for stripping, to double sure, carry the fish up in a vertical way and see if the
eggs are dripping out itself without pressing the stomach, it the egg is coming
out , that means you are double confirmed, then put back the fish into the
container

42) Picture (confirming if the female brood stock is ready

for stripping)

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Egg dripping out without pressing the stomach (ready female brood stock)

Next, (if you are killing the fish) get the male fish already selected for
the hatchery purpose. Hold by 2 people with the stomach up slit/cut the belly
vertical with a sharp knife or razor blade in other to expose the stomach
compartment. Then remove the fatty substance and the intestines. After
these, you will see the milt (sperm) attached to the flesh. Remove and clean
it carefully, using toilet roll/tissue paper to remove the blood and other
stains on it, then wrap it in a clean tissue paper.

If you are not killing the male fish and need just only one
milt and to reuse the second milt ; get the male fish already

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selected for the hatchery purpose. Hold by 2 people with the stomach up, cut
the belly a little with razor blade preferably, make sure the cut is just small
cut that only a single finger will enter, and then locate the milt/sperm,
remove just 1 you intend using, than return the male back to I fresh water
already treated with antibiotic and anti stress or treat with just salt solution
(10g in 1liter). The male stomach will heal back in a few week and you can
reuse anytime (this is a practical exercise done by me and it proven)

43) Picture (removing of male brood stock milt/sperm)

Milt been removed and protect by tissue paper

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44) Picture (removing milt)

How to preserve you milt/sperm for 24 hours before usage

After removing the milt/sperm, get a ready a clean small bowel/container
with lip/cover, inside the small bowl you put salt solution, put the milt into
the salt solution and put is inside a refrigerator, (note not freezer), this can
last for 24 hours before usage or more (this is a practical exercise done by me
and it proven)

45) picture (male brood stock milt/sperm in a small bowl,

milky in colour suitable to use)

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Milt in a white clean salt solution ready for use and preservation

Next, get a dry semi dip small plastic/stainless bowl: remove the female
brood stock fish from the latency container, hold by 2 people with a towel,
hold it firm and careful, don’t allow it to slip from your hands, the person
striping will hold the head with a towel/cloth, covering the fish eye, while the
other person hold the tail, making sure it don’t slip off, and you began to
strip/press down ward gently, you notice the egg start coming out from the
anus of the female fish, continue to massage the belly gently.

46) picture (stripping of female fish)

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Female fish been strip/massage gently on a small stainless bowl

47) picture (still massaging gently)

Next, Still continue to strip and check for slit blood stain mix with the strip
eggs, if found, remove it immediately

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48) picture (removing blood stain on the strip eggs)

Getting off the blood stain found from the stripped eggs

Next, check if they are still eggs in the fish continue stripping, but check for
another blood stain if any

49) picture ( continue massaging after removing the

blood stain from the female eggs)

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Next, stop stripping as soon as you notice blood coming out with the egg
from the female fish

50) picture (blood stain during stripping)

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Noticing blood stain coming out with the egg (stop stripping)

Next, check very well for any notice of blood stain on the egg, because
blood stain will contaminate the fertilization process and may mess up all the
process

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51) picture (checking and gentle mixing of the already

stripped egg for perfect job done)

Job well done, from the picture above the colour of the eggs is from 4 female
brood stock with (golden, golden green, golden brown and brown colour),
these are the sign of mature eggs to look out for.

Next, after the stripping process, take the milt, cut it vertically from the tip
with a razor blade and allow the milky liquid to drop on the eggs gently.

52) picture (adding the milt to the already stripped eggs

from the female)

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Cutting the milt/sperm vertically

53) picture ( milt dropping on the eggs)

Cutting the milt vertically with razor blade and milky milt dropping on the
eggs

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Next , then rinse it by dropping tiny drops of the salt solution or clean water
from the plastic cup over the slit milt and allow it to drop over the eggs by
spreading it gently over the eggs in the plastic/stainless bowl

54) picture ( dropping of fresh water on the milt)

Allowing the little fresh water flush the milky milt on the eggs

Next, shake the eggs gently and gradually for about eight (80) seconds. Stop
as soon as the eggs are evenly spread over the bowl.

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55) picture (shaking the eggs)

Shaking the egg gently and gradually

Next, steer with a plastic spoon gradually to confirm a perfect mixture(note,

this act is optional)

56) picture (plastic spoon steering)

Mixture re-confirm (optional)

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Next, gently spay the eggs over the incubators spawning net/kakaban
evenly, make sure the eggs are not spread on themselves and be careful not
to let it spray on the pond floor/base, because this may led to water
pollution if care is not taken.

57) picture (spreading the eggs on the incubator

spawning net)

58) picture ( spreading more evenly)

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59) picture (making sure all the eggs are spread

on the net)

60) picture (perfect evenly spread)

Next, cover the pond, properly not to allow dirty and predators like dragon
fly lay on the water. Once a dragon fly as contact with the water, they easily
lay eggs and turn to fries very fast, they generate faster fries this will be very
dangerous to the newly fries. And also covering your pond will help control
your water temperature.

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61) picture (predator like dragon fly)

Dragon fly

62) (covered newly hatched concrete hatchery pond)

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The hatchery pond protected and covered with tarpaulin and stones

63) picture (covered and protected plastic tank with

tarpaulin)

Plastic hatchery/nursery pond covered with tarpaulin

21. GUIDING ANALYSIS ON A GRAVID BROOD STOCK
EGG PRODUCTION

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This is a practical arithmetic I will like to share with you, this stand as a guide
to check the expected productivity of you female brood stock. A normal
gravid female brood stock can produce a eggs of 10 to 15% of the body
weight, meaning for a 1kg of gravid female brood stock , it most likely you
get 100grams of eggs, let look more deeper, inside 1 gram of egg it most
likely you get around 600 to 800 eggs, and more deeper, in 1kg of a gravid
female brood stock you can get around 700,000 to 800,000 eggs. (Note this is
just a verbal writing, how many people can achieve this? can anyone achieve
in succeeding making all the eggs turn fries?) This is where individual
strength comes in. once your egg are spawn, if you have a good system and
have a nice guide you can achieve 70% of your hatchery, but the time you
remove your net/kakaban it drops to 60%, during your fries management,
this now depend on your technical knowhow, if you can maintain the
percentage (%) or drop it.

22. FRIES MANAGEMENT /HANDLING TO FINGERLINGS

WATER CONTROL IN THE HATCHERY

Then after 12 hours of spawning go check the percentage (%) of good eggs
achieved, also check if your water is still very clean, the white eggs you see
on the net/kakaban are the bad egg/un hatched eggs. If the water is not
clean, looking cloudy this means the amount of milt/sperm is much or level
of un- hatched eggs are much, this can lead to water pollution and will kill all
the newly hatched fries. If the water is not clean then start running flow
through to prevent pollution, this will also allow the newly fries comes in
clean in fresh water( note the water should be the same water used for the
hatchery processes stored in the storage tank).

64) picture (12 hours after hatchery checking for %

achieved)

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65) Picture (storage tank look like)

Flow through system is the process of running water in and

out at the same speed, the same pressure water come in
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and goes out from the outlet pipe will be the same, When
the water inlet pipe and the oulet pipe was placed opposite
of themselves.

66) picture (flow through water system- the inlet pipe,

perforated pipe method )

The inlet pipe dropping in water into the incubator

67) picture picture (flow through water system- the inlet

pipe,showertop method )

68) picture (flow through outlet pipe, straight line)

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The outlet pipe downing out the water the same rate as the inlet pipe

69) Picture ( Bend method flow through outlet)

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When the incubation and hatchery process is complete, (normally as from 24

hours after spraying), allow enough time for most, if not all the eggs to hatch
completely , the waiting time should not exceed 6 (six) hours after the first
24 hours ; especially during the dry season or when/where the temperature
is high. Then remove the net/kakaban and increase the flow of the water
coming into the incubator pond to neutralize the pollution that may have
been caused by both the hatched and un-hatched eggs.

70) picture (process of removing net from the incubator)

This is the process of net removal, shaking the net gradually to allow the fries
swim off.

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The un-hatched eggs are whitish in colour. To prevent them from polluting
the water, carefully siphon them out, using the small (4mm) water hose (as
you suck fuel out of the fuel tank) or pressurized the hose by putting the hose
in a water running pipe, then use your hand to close the end hole of the
hose, then put the other hose into the incubator pond and release the close
hose down gradually to allow a free flow not stressed water out of the
incubator pond. Then direct the mouth of the hose at the suspended or
settled un-hatched eggs, using your left hand and then with broom, in your
right hand, pick up the egg so that the force of the water will suck them up
and flush them through the hose out of the pond. By using this method, you
will avoid flushing out the fries with the un-hatched eggs. In the alternative,
increase the water inflow and outflow so as to reduce water pollution. In this
case you do not need to siphon the un-hatched eggs until some days like (6
to 10days) later.

71) Picture (siphon un-hatched eggs)

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72) picture (siphoning bad and un-hatched eggs from the incubating pond)

73) picture (un-hatched eggs and whitish eggs look like)

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After this, always examine the pond water to ensure that is neat and clear.
Also ensure that the water inflow and outflow systems are functioning
effectively in addition, the newly hatched fish (larvae) should not be fed until
forty eight (48) hours 2 days or seventy-two (72) hours 3 days, after the
hatching is completed. This is to allow each of the larvae to absorb its yolk
sac, which also serve as its food for the first 48 hours after hatching.
Meanwhile, the newly hatched larvae change to fries as from the third 3rd
day after hatching and begins to feed.

74) picture (newly hatched larvae look like)

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23. FEEDING THE NEWLY HATCHED CATFISH LARVAE

(Option 1), Start feeding them as from the expiration of the 72 days (3days) ,
you can start with a boil egg yolk, feed them with a little quantity of this for
one (1) day, then feed them with zooplankton (daphnia) or artemia (brine
shrimp) and continue with either of these for the next two (2 ) days before
transferring them on the fourth day (counting from the day when hatching
was complete) to a larger nursery pond. Taking into consideration that from
when the eggs are sprayed to when the fish fries are transferred, water
should not cease to flow, it should flow all through, (option 2 )or after the
days start feeding them with 0.2mm size of floating crumble feed.

24. STRAGEGY OF FEEDING OPTION 1

Boil the egg until it get hard, peel off the eggshell, remove the yolk, crush it
and mix with good water until it becomes milky and then use a teaspoon to
put a drop each at the pond water each corner of the pond, where the fries
are gathered. You will easily notice them, when gather, they look like a
handful (or less) of sand heaped or a spot and (or) partially scattered.
In case of the zooplankton (daphnia) or artemia, use the first fry net made
from Muslim material (fine texture material like woman head tie) to scoop
the zooplankton (daphnia) or artemia and put it in the pond water and the
fish will immediately feed on them. You do not need to put this feed on a
particular spot because it is a live feed and thus can swim and will not pollute
the water. A little quantity of this will be okay. Feed them for between two
(2) and three (3) days.

75) Picture (after boiling the egg, peeling the shell)

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76) Picture (after peeling the shell)

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77) Picture (egg yolk identify)

78) Picture (artemia)

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25. STRAGEGY OF FEEDING OPTION 2

From the 72 hours (3) from hatchery start feeding with o.1mm- 0.2 crumble
concentrated feed.

79) Picture (0.1 – 0.2 crumble concentrate feed)

26. TRANSFERING THE FRIES IN THE NUSERY POND FRON THE

INCUBATING POND

Two (2) days, prior to the transfer of the fries from the hatchery pond to the
nursery pond, the nursery pond should be washed thoroughly, use the filter
made with the white mosquito net to block the water exit pipe, after this,
pump fresh water into it, on the day of transfer add some anti stress
medication to the water, the water level of the nursery pond, at this stage,
must not be up to ten (10) inches, this has to be increased gradually as the
catfish (fries) grow bigger.

27. WATER CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF THE NUSERY POND

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Make sure you don’t allow the water to be polluted, smelly or deoxygenated.
Once you observe that the fishes always stay on top of the water, check out
for mucus or dregs that may have settled in the bottom of the pond. If they
are there, reduce the water in the pond by seventy (70) % percent of its
original volume by adjusting the water discharge pipe and siphon them out
with a inch or 0ne (1) inch water hose. As soon as you are through, refill the
pond to the former water level with fresh water. This has to be done
regularly.

And also make sure the pond water is running twenty-four (24) hours
continuously for the first seven (7) to ten (10) days of transfer. Thereafter it
could be run and stopped intermittently every six (6) hours along as the fish
remains in the pond. Furthermore, the water has to be inspected to ensure
that it is very clean and clear always. Besides, the fish also has to have a
black colour all through the period of nurturing in the nursery pond.

28. HANDING OF THE FRIES IN THE NURSETY POND

One (1) week after transferring the fries into the nursery pond, the filter used
in blocking the water exit(outlet) pipe, has to be changed to the one made
with the coloured mosquito net (white) for ease of flow of the water,
particularly after eight (8) days of transfer.

80) Picture( white mosquito net used to block exit pipe)

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 Catfish hatchery and management

On a regular basis, sort out the bouncer/shoot out (fast growing) fries, to
avoid cannibalism and keep them in a different tank or pond, filled with
water and take good care of them as the others.

81) picture (bouncer/shoot of fries)

2 weeks shooter measuring 3cm

82) picture (fries of 2 week)

Refer to table 1:2

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83) Picture (2 and half weeks shooter/jumper, 4cm

length)

Always cover the pond days and night with black polythene, tarpaulin or
wooden board to shade and also protect it from direct sunlight, rain,
predators and poachers.

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Table 1:4

29. FEEDING OF FRIES TO JUVELINE/JUMBO , AGE,FISH

SIZE,FISH WEIGHT,FEED SIZE

N Catfish Age Size Fish Feed Optional feed

o Name (weeks) (cm) size size
(grams) (mm)
1 Newly 1 wk 1cm 0.1 g 0.1 Artemia/diaphia/(e
hatched gg York for day 1)
fries
2 Fries 2 wks 1-2cm 0.3g 0.2
3 Fries 3 wks 3 – 4cm 0.5g 0.3 –
0.5
4 Fingerlings 4 - 5 wks 4 – 5 cm 1 – 2g 0.5 –
0.8
5 Post 6 -7 wks 6 – 8 cm 3 – 5 g 0.8 –
Fingerlings 1.5
6 Juvenile 8 – 9 wks 9 – 10cm 8 – 10 2
g
7 Post 10 – 12 12 – 15 – 20 3
juvenile/jumb wks 15cm g
o

30. MEDICATION

Materials needed

 30g of salt (table salt)

 1 sachet of anti- stress
 One teaspoonful of oxytetracycline (otc)
 10 litres of water

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 Catfish hatchery and management

Procedures

Prepare the mixture of 30g of salt in 10 litres of water with I sachet if anti-
stress and a teaspoonful of oxytetracycline. Be very sure you mix it
thoroughly, and then reduce the level of water in your pond or vat spreads
evenly pour the prepared mixture into the pond.

Make sure the operation is done in the morning before (sunrise) or evening
after (sunset)

Feed them mostly at night and mostly at the four corners of the pond
because these are where the fries gather most. Feed gradually and allow
them to consume most if not , all the food you have given them before you
leave or proceed from one feeding spot to another.

You can also medicate them with branded antibiotic for fish like aquaceryl

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84) picture (anti biotic/ aquaceryl+)

And by the end of 4 weeks the expected size of the fish should be around
4cm and more. At this size and age, they are strong and matured enough for
stocking for grow out. You can then sell them for grow out farmers and make
some money.

31. IMPORTANT NOTE ON FEEDING YOUR FRIES

Every 1 to 2 hours after feeding the fries or fingerlings , make sure you flush
the pond for at least 30minutes by running water into and out of the pond, to
do this, open the water outlet and inlet the same time and at the same
speed. This will allow you reduce the pollution effect of the food given to the
fries.

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32. BREAKDOWN OF FISH GROWTH, FEEDING ACTIVITIES AND

FISH ACTIVITIES FROM HATCHERY TO FINGERLINGS

TABLE 1:4

No Time/days from hatchery Activities

1 24 to 30 hours after Eggs hatch into larvae
spraying
2 2 days after hatchery Larvae are not fed
3 3 days after hatchery Larvae feed on their yolk sac, change
into fries
4 4 days after hatchery Larvae can be transfer to nursery pond

5 7 to 10 days after hatchery Fries will become sensitive to low water

oxygen so water should be constantly
changed by at least 40% of the pond
water level , and again they will start to
develop their fins but at this stage ,
they are still fused together
6 15 to 21 days after hatchery The fins develop to advance stage and
fries begin to breathe on air. Shooters
begin to emerge. They can highly
cannibalistic. Remove them in a
separate pond as soon as you notice
them. Check and do this every 2 to 3
days, and fries will develop to
fingerlings.
7 28 days after hatchery Fish should be at least 3cm to 4cm ,
(4weeks) develop to fingerlings
8 42 days after hatchery (6 Fingerlings develop to post fingerlings
weeks) and becomes more rugged and
expensive
9 56 days after hatchery (8 Post fingerling develop into pre-juvenile
weeks)
10 70 days after hatchery (10 Pre juvenile develop into juvenile, they
weeks) becomes more rugged and more
expensive

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85) THINGS TO CHECK OUT FOR WHEN FISH ARE NOT

GROWING

If you notice that your fish are not growing as require and not active, you
need to look out for those factors.

 It may be cause by low water oxygen: change the water by

70% of it original level, run it continuously for around 3 to 4 hours.#
 It may be caused by overstocking: if you have overstock,
reduce the number of fish stock.
 The feed and feeding may be poor or inadequate;
change the feed immediately or improve on the feed quality, check
your feeding strategies and time
 Nature of parent stock: seek to know the source of the brood
stock used or possibly change it when next you are breeding, or change
breeder hand if you buy from other farmer
 White head, dark body: that could be diseases outbreak. Add
oxytetracycline (OTC antibiotics) , aquaceryl or any other good anti
biotic formula

33. FACT TO KNOW ABOUT CATFISH HATCHERY

 Before your transfer fries from hatchery pond to nursery pond, fill with
water and let it settle for 2 days , before the transfer
 Change water every morning before feeding at a ratio of 50 to 70 %
 After fertilization process, larvae change to fries from 3 days and they
start feeding immediately
 Your hatchery pond, water should be maintain at a depth of 4 –
5inches when egg are sprayed, when the larvae is 3 days you can then
increase the water level to 8 inches
 Try to keep the incubator and nursery pond dark

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 You salt solution should be made on a ratio of 10grams of salt to 1 litre

of water
 You can feed fries with 72% fish meal only or egg yolk if
crumble/concentrated feed is scarce
 If you find your fish near water surface, they may be hungry or not
comfortable
 Eggs hatch between a temperature range 23 oc and 28oc (33hours – 22
hours)
 Clarias Gariepinus is the most popular rear able species of African
catfish family
 It is better to spawn during the night and observe the incubation
process during the day
 Adhere strictly to the recommended pond water level for hatchery
production

34. HOW TO HARVEST FINGERLINS FOR SALE OR STOCK

Before you transfer fingerlings either for sale, stock or otherwise, make sure
that the fingerlings are starved (do not feed) for at least twelve hours (12)
before transferring. This will prevent them from being weak and also
polluting the water in the container, being used for the transfer process by
vomiting or excreting, which could lead to their death before they get to
where they are being taken. But if you most feed them, do not feed with
concentrated feed but artificial feed like daphnia or artemia only.

35. HOW TO HARVEST AND COUNT FINGERLINGS

The first thing to do is to evacuate/reduce the pond water to 90% through

the outlet pipe. Then use a mosquito net to scoop them and put them into a
plastic basin/baff, already prepared for the counting process. Do not use any
hard material because the fingerlings are still tender and as such could be
easily injured, this will lead to the death of the fish:

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These are some procedure to follow:

i. When you scoop them with the net, carefully put them into the plastic
basin, already containing some shallow water.
ii. To count the fish use, a plastic sieve to bring them out of the water
basin or use a small pieces of mosquito net, put them on a counting
table design with an outlet space in the outlet space you put a swallow
basin/baff with water, there the counted fish drop, you can use stone
as your counter not to forget the number of fish already counted. You
can also us another method otherwise.
iii. Count up to one or two thousand pieces, weight the counted quantity,
using a tabletop weighing scale to determine the weight of the
counted one or two thousand there after use the determined weight as
a basis ti determine the subsequent one or two thousand, do this until
you are able to determine the total quantity or the quantity meant for
sale or transfer
iv. Depending on the quantity meant for sale or transfer, use 10, 25, 50
litres jerry can, cut open the topside of either side of the handle, do
not cut off or damage the handle.
v. A 25 litres jerry can, half ¾ filled with water can hold up tp three
thousand (3000) fingerlings
vi. Transporting them will now depend on the distance, if the distance will
take you more than 1 hour, then you may need to change the water in
the jerry can after the first 2 hours, you will be changing it with a good
fresh water , well or borehole water. Do not use any other water.

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vii. You can also use a thick transparent polythene bag. Fill it with good
water and pump liquid oxygen into it before putting the fingerlings
inside it, then tie the mouth to prevent the water and oxygen from
escaping, with this, you can transport the fingerlings to distant places.
viii. When stocking in the grow out pond, gently dip the jerry can in the
pond water and let out the fingerlings gradually, leave them for 12
hours if the distance is much, then feed them. The best period to do
this is in the morning and evening.
ix. If you are transporting the fingerlings in a long distance, if is very
possible they will be stressed up, add anti stress (drug) into the pond
water before introducing the fingerlings, do this before the fingerlings
arrive.

86) Picture (jerry can to transport fish)

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 Catfish hatchery and management

36. ADVISE

I know by now you should be a professional breeder and need no help from
any (greedy breeder), greedy breeders are those breeders who are not ready
to share or give information about, there hatchery process. This book is well
detailed and I took my time to get things simpler than what you think people
say, with diagrams and illustrative table.

Now as a good breeder, willing to produce good seed to co-farmers, once

again, if you most buy your brood stock know the origin of the brood stocks
and follow my advice on brood stock care and identification, maintain good
record keeping for proper planning, record keeping from day 1 of hatchery
and the day you start feeding, this record will allow you know the age of your
fish and if the fish are growing as require (refer to table 1:4).

As a good breeder, to should understand the market around your

environment and develop a creative strategy for your produce, these will
minimize your input and maximize your output. Some of the marketing
strategy you should be looking out for : having a standby client of variance
for you seed and you should always give good, healthy, free from disease
seed, don’t sell to opportunities farmer, who always look for opportunity of
less prize, they form cartel and run down your business, always be on trend
with the current prize

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Bonus

37. Simple way to culture zooplanktons

For those of us using the earthen pond, create a smaller earthen pond in your
farm, around 6feets by 6feets by 2feets. Then get some chicken
drops/manure, waste in a sac of like 25kg, deep is inside the pond and wait
for 3 weeks. Then check after week 3 you will be seeing the sign of
zooplanktons bloom, and then you can start harvesting them to feed your
fries.
Harvesting them, you can use a white net, put them in the nursery
pond and you see them moving, the fries will rush to pick them and you will
experience a faster growth in them.

38. Method to keep your hatchery water temperature

constant
When you check your water and find out it below the temperature of 28oC,
apply this method:

 Get an aquarium water heater asks from any aquarium retail store
around you or check online delivery store, put it inside the water it will
start increasing your pond water gradually, then check if you have
attain the normal temperature 28 – 30oc.
 Another method is to get a bottle water empties depend on the size of
your pond, you can put 3, 4, 5 depend. Make sure the empty bottle is
well sterilized with salt, put into the bottle some boiled water cover
the lid and place them inside the pond/vat by the corners, this process
will also increase your pond water temperature, check if you have
meet up with the required oc and remove the bottle.

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39. Method to keep your hatchery room temperature

constant

When you check you room temperature with a thermometer and you
discover it above 30oc

Apply those methods:

 Get some charcoal and coal put it inside the room and put wire(with
kerosene and matches) check the temperature as it will be going down
 Get some fire wood and a wood plate burn the wood up with wire
(with kerosene and matches) in the hatchery room and check the
temperature as it will be going down.
 And lastly buy 200watts electric bulb and on the light in the hatchery
room.
Thank you for having a copy of this book, you can also order for my other
book, the books are to guide you and better reduce your farm input and
increase the output.

 The secret of a successful catfish business

 Guide to a successful catfish melange farming
 Feed formulation
 Feeding calculation chart

AUTHOR: ODUTOLA YISA ABIODUN Page 92

 Catfish hatchery and management

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AUTHOR: ODUTOLA YISA ABIODUN Page 93