Optimum Conditioning Period before Packing, Salt-Treated Water, and Blue Background Color Improved the Survival of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) Fingerlings during Transport

High fish mortality caused by poor management and conventional transport practices is still a major concern for tilapia hatchery operators. This study evaluated the effect of four transport management schemes (conditioning period, salt-treated water, background color, and their combination) on the survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) fingerlings (0.27 ± 0.07 g) during transport. The test fish were subjected to simulated transport experiments using a manually operated carrier at 6-h, 12-h, 24-h, and 48-h transport time. In experiment 1, four treatment groups (6-h, 12-h, 24-h, and 48-h conditioning time) were compared. Treatments of varying salt concentrations (0, 4, 8, and 12 g L-1) in the transport water were utilized for experiment 2. In experiment 3, different colors of transport bags (transparent, black, blue, and red) served as treatments. The most effective treatments in the preceding experiments were combined and designated as treatments for experiment 4. Results of the series of experiments showed that 48-h transport time, conditioning of 24-h before transport (78.50 ± 4.23% survival rate), addition of 4 g L-1 salt to transport water (70.30 ± 12.64%), use of blue transport bag (93.80 ± 1.48%), and the combination of these three variables (99.50 ± 0.38%) were significantly effective (P < 0.05) in improving the survival rate of the fish. The present study provides alternative methods for further refinement on transport management protocols to enhance survival of Nile tilapia fingerlings during transport.