The incubation room contains 40 Heath stack incubators. Each stack is set up in half-stack configurations of 8 trays each. Each half-stack can be supplied with water from either of two headboxes, allowing maximum flexibility in selecting temperatures for incubation. The flow to each half-stack is 4 gpm. The number of eggs per tray varies with the size of the eggs.
Temperature is important when rearing fish.
Fish reared at a higher temperature grow faster, and fish reared at lower temperatures grow more slowly. However, higher water temperatures often result in faster growth of fungus and bacteria as well. Hatchery managers must constantly adjust and monitor water temperatures and purity across the whole facility. Water in the indoor raceways has a flow range of 60 gpm to 120 gpm. Each group of four raceways has its own temperature controller.