How to Raise Freshwater Crabs? A Detailed Guide to Breeding Techniques and Methods

When it comes to crabs, everyone is surely familiar with them. They are not only highly nutritious but also the best gift to give others. At present, many regions in our country are farming them, so how do you raise freshwater crabs?

1. Pond requirements

Crabs like to grow in an environment with sufficient water sources and clean water quality, so when choosing a pond, it is best to choose a location far from urban areas and free of pollution for farming. In addition, some clay, sandy soil or loamy sand should be placed at the bottom of the pond, and the water depth should preferably be between 0.6-1.5 m.

2. Keep the pond clean

After the crabs have been stocked for a period of time, some bleaching powder should be sprinkled in due course to disinfect the water quality. 3-4 days after disinfection, about 150 kg of organic humus fertilizer can be put into the pond. After a few days, the color of the pond will gradually turn blue-green, and the water should remain clean and hygienic. Usually, stocking can be done 5-6 days after clearing the pond.

3. Releasing seedlings

Go to a specialty market to buy some crab seedlings, then put the crab seedlings into the pond at an appropriate ratio. Generally, a two-year farming model can be adopted: purchase crab seedlings at the end of May and the beginning of June, carry out extensive rearing in the pond, and by the end of the year they can be bred into button crabs. In the second spring, these button crabs are then put into the pond site. Usually, the stocking specification for crab seed is 100—200 crabs/kg. Stock 300—500 crabs per mu of water surface. Proper release can improve the pond-exit specification and quality of river crabs.

4. Farming management techniques

(1) Water quality control: When farming crabs in ponds, very high requirements are placed on the water quality used. The pond water needs to be disinfected. By using bleaching powder to carry out medicinal disinfection of the pond, the water quality must be kept clean to avoid water quality problems.

(2) Crab disease prevention and control: Crab disease prevention and control should adhere to prevention first, achieve early detection and early treatment, prevent disease before it occurs, and treat disease early when it occurs. Different methods should be adopted for prevention at different growth stages.