The application is directed to an aquatic egg collection research system. The egg collection includes stepped racks that hold a plurality of tanks in a stepped configuration. A stepped fluid conduit assembly and stepped drain respectively supply water to the tanks and collect water flowing out from the tanks. A barrier partitions the tanks enabling eggs to fall through but prevents the adult fish from scavenging the eggs. Nets are placed by a user in strategic areas for trapping eggs from the water flowing out from the tanks. In some embodiments, the tanks are totally opaque, internally lighted, and have an electronic timer for controlling the internal lighting in the tanks. The eggs can be studied with various microscopic slides customized for the research.