Incubating red NIFI strain of tilapia eggs in a closed-water recirculation system with varied salinity levels

Abstract

This research aims to determine the impact of varying salinities on the hatching of red NIFI tilapia eggs in a closed-water recirculation system incubator. The eggs were hatched at salinities of zero ppt, one ppt, five ppt, and ten ppt, with three replications per treatment. The stocking density for each replication was set at 1,750 eggs per liter. After a six-day incubation period, the resulting larvae were reared under the same salinity conditions for four weeks, with a stocking density of 1,000 individuals per cubic meter. The hatching rate of eggs recorded for the zero ppt salinity treatment was 74%. There was no significant difference between the zero ppt, one ppt (73%), and five ppt (69%) salinity treatments, while the ten ppt (24%) yielded significantly different hatching rates of eggs results (p<0.05). The highest survival rate of reared larvae was achieved in zero ppt salinity treatment, reaching 75%. Salinities of one ppt, five ppt, and ten ppt yielded larvae survival rates of 70%, 55%, and 49%, with statistical significance (p<0.05). Egg hatching in an incubator with a closed water recirculation system at low salinity levels can be considered an initial adaptation step in brackish water tilapia seed production.