| Parts List |
| refrigerator (small dormitory type or larger); 2.5 gallon (or larger) glass aquarium; 20 gallon glass aquarium (if fish will eventually be placed in room temperature water); aquarium filter (similar in design to the AquaClear 300); filter cartridges with (1) foam, (3) activated carbon, (2) ammonia; aquarium thermometer with suction cup; dip net; two 5 gallon plastic buckets with lids; aquarium siphon or 3 feet of .5" clear flexible plastic tubing; turkey baster; .5 gallon pail of washed cobbles (approximately 1" diameter). |
The Option B - Budget Approach provides a low cost alternative to the "Rolls Royce" incubator. A small glass or plastic aquarium, outfitted with an electrical filter and containing approximately 50 salmon eggs, is placed inside a refrigerator. Later, after the fish "swim up" (explained in a later section), the salmon/trout may be transferred to a larger aquarium with room temperature water.
While the Budget Approach has been used successfully in many classrooms, it does have a few drawbacks: 1. because the eggs are in a refrigerator, students don't have as much direct access to their salmonid family, and 2. tank care is somewhat more intensive. Nevertheless, this direct approach does work and has a much more attractive price tag than the Rolls Royce. (Note: While the following directions address assembling a budget incubator using a two gallon aquarium, a larger aquarium may be used provided the refrigerator has the space). Here is how to assemble the budget incubator:
For the eggs, the water temperature should be within 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit of the temperature at which the eggs were kept in the hatchery (colder is better than warmer). This may require some trial and error adjustment of the refrigerator's temperature setting.
After allowing the chlorine in the water to dissipate for 72 hours, the incubator is ready to receive the salmon or trout eggs. Periodically check the thermometer to make sure the temperature is appropriate.
At the discretion of the teacher or facilitator, the salmon/trout family may be transferred to a 20 gallon aquarium containing room temperature water several weeks prior to the release date, but only after "swim-up" (the fish have emerged from the gravel). This affords students a better opportunity to see their fish "up close and personal." The larger tank should not contain any gravel, as this will make tank maintenace much easier. Alternatively, the fish may be kept in the refrigerator until the stocking date. A tank with water at room temperature will require more frequent maintenance - primarily in the form of water and filter changes - because the fish are producing waste at a faster rate. Decomposition of fish food and waste will also occur at a faster rate at warmer temperatures.