Finfish Breeding and Hatchery Management

Unit 3 - Breeding of major carps

3.5.2. Transportation of broodfish

• It is not economically feasible to transport bigger fingerlings/yearlings and broodfish in small packing containers.
• For this purpose, truck mounted open tanks with facilitates for mechanical aeration and/or circulation were initially used quite successfully.
• Open canvas containers (1m x 1m x 1.25m) are used in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh for transporting major carp breeders. In those States galvanized iron drums of 180 l capacity are also used.
• In India, two successful models of closed system of live-fish carrier were designed.
• One is due to Mammen (1962), which he called `Splashless tank’.
• The later model of the splashless tank is of a petrol tanks design of 1,150 l capacity with an autoclave-type lid.
• It has a built-in aeration system for supplying compressed air, which works on a belt driven by the engine of the transporting vehicle.
• An oxygen cylinder is carried only as a stand by for emergency.
• The inner surface of the tank is lined with U-foam which prevents physical injury to live fish during transport.
• A total weight of about 250 kg live fish can be transported at a time in the splashless tank, as also 90,000 carp fingerlings.
• The load ratio of fish to water in this type of carrier in about 1 kg of fish per 4.5 l water.
• Patro (1968) developed a tank which has an outer chamber of 120 cm diameter open from top and a slightly smaller one closed from top; the latter, during transport, fits inside the former.
• The top of the inner chamber is provided with an air vent and an oxygen valve.
• The outer chamber serves as a storage tank and is initially filled with water along with fish to be transported.
• The inner chamber, which is shipped from the upper open end of the water serves as an oxygen holding chamber at its top and is lined throughout with U-foam to prevent fish from sustaining injury during transport.
• This double-barrel type carrier as stated by Patro can transport a total weight of 100 kg of live fish at a time.