Broodstock Management in Milkfish

(Chanos chanos)
Holding Facilities for Broodstocks: Land Based Concrete Tank

The capacity of the broodstock tank is 150 m3 and a stocking density of 60 pieces which is 1 fish
per 2m3. A sex ratio of 1:1 to 1:2 (female: male) that is 30 females and a 30 males of milkfish.
It’s average body weight is about 6 kilograms.

Routine Activities
Daily monitoring of water parameters
 Every morning and afternoon, we check the water parameters which is the salinity and
temperature. We maintain the temperature of the water at about 26°C-32°C and maintaining a
salinity of 29-34ppt to avoid stress of the milkfish. If the temperature and salinity had change, it
will affect the stocks which cause stress so they do water change and water-flow.

Daily siphoning of broodstock tanks to eliminate/remove the uneaten feeds and feces.
In broodstock management of bangus production, they do the siphoning every month.

Feeding Management
A feeding rate of 1.5% per day here at bangus station in BFAR-NIFTDC. In preparing the amount
of feeds given to the stock, we mix an enrichment which are the vitamin E, vitamin C, chicken
egg and cod liver oil. We do not put cod liver oil because the fat content of the feed is 8-10%
but if the fat content of the feed is only 6%, add cod liver oil or squid oil. In a mixing bowl, we
measured 50 grams of vitamin e, 25 grams of vitamin c and a 15 pieces of egg yolks.
 Feeding the broodstock 3 times daily (8:00am, 10:00 am, 4:00 pm)

Egg Collection

Setting the egg colector to egg collecting box. The collector net should be clean at first,
and then set into egg collecting box before the expected spawning time at 6 PM. At this time,
close monitoring of fish behaviour and activity should be done which is splashing. We collect
eggs from tank East 1, East 3, East 4, East 5 and East 6.
 First collection is usually between 3am-4 am, and second collection between 5am-7 am.
It is full blast.
 Scoop the eggs with hand net and put it in a pail (10 liters cap).

 Applying mild aeration in a pail at the counting area.

 Selection of Eggs

 Stop aeration and remove the dirt using flat scoop net.

 Collecting the good eggs by pouring them into a net to remove the water. Good quality
eggs sink or stays in the bottom while bad eggs float or stay at the top. At first, we
collect the eggs that float or bad eggs using scoop net then we pour the good eggs into
another scoop net.

 We get the wet weight of good eggs . One gram is equal to 741 eggs based on average
counts made at NIFTDC.
June 6,2018
Good Eggs
Tank # Weight of Eggs Constant # of Eggs in 1gram (NIFTDC) Total
E1 140g 741eggs 103,740g/egg
2
3 157g 741eggs 116,337g/egg
4 75g 741eggs 55,575g/egg
5 212g 741eggs 157,092g/egg
6 60g 741eggs 44,460g/egg
644 477,204
 Bad Eggs
Weight of Eggs Constant # of Eggs in 1gram (NIFTDC) Total
102g 741eggs 75,582g/egg

70g 741eggs 51,870g/egg

36g 741eggs 26,676g/egg
53g 741eggs 39,273g/egg
10g 741eggs 7,410g/egg
370g 200,811

 We transfer good eggs to 500-liter settling tank with mild aeration then covering it with
fine mesh net (mosquito net).
 Stocking density of good eggs should be 100,000 good eggs at 100 liters of seawater.
 Good eggs incubate for 24 hours in the tank.