In the Adopt-A-Salmon Family program every effort is made to raise fish in conditions that are as close to nature as possible. In the wild, female salmonids deposit their eggs in gravel depressions on the bottom of cold water streams. All of the elements of a natural nest (or redd) are incorporated into the classroom incubator: cold, clean, moving water; a gravel bottom; and darkness (foam wrapped aquarium). This approach leads to healthy fish and gives students an accurate, close-up understanding of salmon reproduction.
Schools may opt for one of two incubation methods. The preferred method requires the purchase of a chilling unit. Together, the unit, aquarium, filter and related supplies cost approximately $700. Recognizing that school budgets are tighter than ever before, a second, low cost, approach to incubation is offered as an alternative. In this case salmon eggs are placed in a small glass vessel inside of a standard refrigerator. This approach works, though it does require considerably more maintenance on the part of the teacher or facilitator. In the best of all worlds, the "Rolls Royce" approach is the method recommended by the program developers. Construction and operation of both incubation approaches will be discussed, step by step, in these appendices.