Back to: Seeding

There are two ways you can choose to inoculate your spools. Each method has its pros and cons. 

1. In individual seeding tubes

2. In a batch inoculation in a culture tank

Seeding within seeding tubes is advantageous, because the small volume of the tubes means less spore solution is required. You’re also able to individualize stocking densities for each spool if you desire. 

However, these seeding tubes take up a large footprint in the hatchery, and if your space is not temperature-controlled, you will have to run water baths to keep them chilled. This takes a lot of additional planning and prep work and may not be feasible for large-scale hatcheries. 

If you choose to seed with seeding tubes, our preferred method is to place the spool into the tube with a foam ring at the bottom that allows the spool to stand. We then fill it halfway with chilled, filtered seawater. Use a pipette or a graduated cylinder to carefully measure the desired volume of spore solution (calculated with the spore density calculator). Then, pour it into the half-full seeding tube around the spool. Do not pour in the middle of the spool, since you don’t want the spores settling there. Finally, top off the tube with chilled, filtered seawater. The goal is to evenly distribute the spore solution around the entire spool, and topping off the tube with water will mix the spores to prevent uneven settling. 

These two videos show different methods of seeding spools in individual tubes.