What Do Grass Shrimp Eat? Freshwater Shrimp Growing Environment, Cycle and High-Yield Farming Techniques

Grass shrimp, also known as black shell shrimp and tiger prawn, is a common shrimp of the Penaeidae family. Because it is easy to raise, has a fast cycle and is rich in nutrients, it is widely farmed. It is now sold on the market, and the price is a little on the expensive side. So what do grass shrimp eat to grow up? Where do they grow? How long is the growth cycle? How do you raise them for high yield?

What do they eat to grow up?

Generally speaking, there are the carcasses of animals and plants, as well as plankton, and so on. Shrimp will eat almost anything, and they are especially fond of meaty food. Fish, meat, mussel meat and river snail meat are all eaten without fail.

Where they grow:

Grass shrimp belong to river shrimp, and like to live in places with aquatic plants. They are river shrimp found in China's rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds.

How long is the growth cycle?

From egg-laying to seedling takes one month, growing to adult shrimp takes 45 days at about 80 shrimp per jin, and 90 days at about 20 shrimp per jin. In summer, shrimp grow very fast.

Farming techniques:

1. Pond conditions and clearing

Choose a freshwater pond or shrimp pond with an area of 3 to 5 mu, a water depth of 1.5 to 2.5 m, sufficient freshwater sources, no pollution, and a sandy bottom. Generally, a cross-shaped shrimp collection ditch is dug at the bottom of the pond, 70 to 80 cm wide and 30 to 40 cm deep, so that after autumn when the river shrimp are harvested, the shrimp can gather in the ditch for easy collection.

2. Fertilizing to cultivate feed

One week before stocking the shrimp fry, filter with a 60 to 80 mesh sieve silk net, add water to 30 cm, and apply 50 kg of base fertilizer or 5 kg of urea per mu to cultivate basic feed.

3. Stocking shrimp fry

Generally in late May, when the water temperature stabilizes at 18 to 20°C, shrimp fry can be stocked. The shrimp fry need more than one week of desalination treatment, and can be stocked only when the specific gravity is below 1.003. Generally, 30,000 to 40,000 shrimp fry of 0.7 to 1.0 cm are stocked per mu, and fry below 0.7 cm need temporary rearing. The shrimp pond can be polycultured with 80 to 150 silver carp and bighead carp fingerlings of 10 to 20 cm.

4. Feeding bait

Within 1 month after the shrimp fry are put into the pond, there is basically no need to feed compound bait, and they mainly rely on the plankton in the pond for food. After 1 month, feed compound bait, supplemented with fresh fish, shellfish meat, etc. The feeding rate is generally 3% to 5% of the shrimp body weight. From July to September, the feeding amount can be appropriately increased, with the principle of not leaving leftover bait. The number of feedings is 2 to 3 times a day, with the daytime amount accounting for 1/3 and the evening for 2/3.

5. Regulating water and preventing disease

Ten days after stocking the shrimp fry, begin to gradually add water, adding 10 to 15 cm of water each week. In the high-temperature season, change 20 to 30 cm of water every 2 to 3 days. About every half month, apply 5 to 10 kg of quicklime per mu, slaked into slurry and splashed over the whole pond, which both improves water quality and bottom quality and sterilizes and promotes shelling and growth. At the same time, at 15 to 20 days, a medicinal bait mixed with 1‰ to 3‰ garlic should be prepared and fed continuously for 3 to 5 days.

6. Harvesting

Generally after 80 to 100 days of farming, when the shrimp body reaches 7 to 10 cm, they can be caught and sold according to market conditions.