Zebrafish Breeding System with Water Level Control and Egg Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for mass reproduction of zebrafish require significant labor and handling, are inefficient in producing eggs in a short period, and are not optimized for limited space in research facilities, leading to suboptimal egg collection and handling challenges.
Innovation Solution
A reproduction system featuring a breeding tank with a platform for egg-laying at a distance from the bottom, a water circulation system to modify water levels, and a collection system that includes a strainer to separate eggs from fish faeces, allowing for on-demand egg collection without handling the fish.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fish are kept separately in dedicated tanks and brought together only the day before spawning, then egg production quantity is increased, but operator handling time and labor are significantly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The breeding tank is divided into separate compartments for males and females using removable partitions. The partitions can be removed to allow spawning or kept in place to separate sexes, eliminating the need for manual fish handling while maintaining controlled spawning conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automatic sex separation and spawning preparation through the removable partition mechanism. The fish themselves occupy their designated compartments, and the operator only needs to remove the partition when spawning is desired, rather than manually handling and relocating fish.
2Reliability
If many tanks are used to respect fish reproduction mode, then spawning regularity is maintained, but space requirements in research facilities are excessive
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple breeding units are combined into a single integrated tank system with compartmentalized sections. Each compartment can function as an independent breeding unit, but they share common infrastructure (water circulation, heating, collection systems), reducing the total space required compared to using separate tanks for each breeding pair.
Solution Approach 2:
The single breeding tank with compartments serves multiple functions simultaneously: it can house multiple breeding pairs, separate sexes, collect eggs from different compartments, and maintain independent environmental conditions for each section, replacing the need for multiple dedicated tanks.
3Loss of time
If fish are left in the same tank continuously, then handling by operators is reduced, but egg production efficiency decreases due to continuous laying over the day
Solution Approach 1:
The partition configuration is made dynamic and adjustable. Partitions can be quickly removed or repositioned to create spawning conditions when needed, and restored when egg collection is complete. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to switch between maintenance mode (low handling) and spawning mode (high efficiency) as required.
4Loss of time
If eggs are collected without separation from fish faeces, then collection time is reduced, but egg quality and usability for experiments are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The egg collection system extracts eggs from the breeding environment through dedicated collection channels and receptacles positioned in the compartments. Eggs are directed into collection containers separate from the fish and their faeces, achieving automatic separation without requiring manual handling or additional processing time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces operator handling time, maintains regular egg production, and optimizes space usage by simulating natural spawning behavior, allowing for efficient egg collection and reducing contamination with fish faeces.
Implementation Method 1
a water circulation system configured to modifying a water level in the breeding tank and at least partially flooding the platform of the egg-laying support
Implementation Method 2
The system may include a spawning platform comprising a porous or perforated member which allows embryos, but not the aquatic animal, to pass through
Implementation Method 3
the collection tray comprises a strainer configured to collect eggs laid by fish on the platform
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Breeding system (1) for fish belonging to the Cyprinidae family, and more particularly for zebra fish of the species Danio rerio, the said system comprising a breeding tank (2) having a bottom (2a) and side walls (2b), a spawning support (3) placed in the breeding tank (2) and comprising a platform (4) forming a spawning zone positioned a distance away from the bottom (2a) of the breeding tank (2), and a water circulating system (17) configured to modify the water level in the breeding tank (2) and at least partially flood the platform (4) of the spawning support (3), in which breeding system the spawning support (3) comprises a funnel (7) comprising a truncated conical wall (8) having a lower orifice (9) extending near the bottom (2a) of the breeding tank (2) and in fluidic communication with the water circulating system (17) by means of a pipe (11), and an upper orifice (10) extending some distance away from the bottom (2a), the platform (4) being fixed near the upper orifice (10) of the funnel (7), and the breeding system further comprises a removable shut-off member (13) configured to at least partially block off the pipe (11) of the spawning support (3) so as to increase the water level in the breeding tank (2) so as to at least partially flood the platform (4), the shut-off member (13) comprising a pipe at the end of which through-holes are formed, the said pipe having a height that is greater than a distance between the lower orifice (9) and the upper orifice (10).