How do you farm Australian lobsters? When should you release the shrimp fry?

Australian lobster meat is delicious and has a fairly firm texture, and market demand for Australian lobster is growing by the day. As a result, many aquaculture farmers have also set their sights on farming this emerging aquatic product species, so how do you farm Australian lobsters? When should you release the shrimp fry?

1. When is the right time to release the fry when farming Australian lobsters?

1. Fry release time

Based on the growth cycle of the Australian lobster and the current state of market demand, it is recommended to release the fry during the period from early April to mid-to-early June each year.

2. Fry selection

When selecting Australian lobster fry, choose fry of uniform size with sound bodies and good mobility.

3. Points to note when releasing fry

(1) Stocking density: for fry generally about 2 cm long, around 5,000 fry can be stocked per mu of pond.

(2) Water level for fry release: when releasing the fry, the water level should be kept above 1 m, which helps keep the water temperature stable.

(3) Release location: it is best to release the fry in the shallow-water areas around the edge of the shrimp pond.

2. How do you farm Australian lobsters?

1. Shrimp pond

The shrimp pond is best built in a rectangular shape with an appropriate slope; the pond bottom can simply be flat with a slight tilt toward the drainage side, which makes feeding and harvesting easier.

In addition, you can place more hiding structures at the bottom of the shrimp pond, such as corrugated tiles, old tires, PVC pipes, bamboo rafts, bricks and tiles, and old baskets, so that the lobsters feel more “secure”.

2. Water quality

The water must be kept fresh and free of pollution, with moderate dissolved oxygen at at least 4 mg/L, and the pH should be kept between 7.0 and 8.0.

After the fry are released, the water depth as a whole should be kept between 0.7 and 1.5 m; it must not be too deep or too shallow.

In addition, if micro-flow aquaculture cannot be achieved, then change the water frequently, and you can change it once every half month.

3. Bait

(1) Feeding amount: generally speaking, when farming Australian lobsters, the daily feeding amount of dry feed is about 8% of the body weight of small-size lobsters, 5% of the body weight of medium-size lobsters, and 3% of the body weight of large-size lobsters. Feed twice a day, preferably before sunrise and after sunset.

(2) Types of bait: soybeans, soybean cake, wheat, corn, sweet potato, fish meal, fresh trash fish, river snails, freshwater mussel meat, earthworms, and livestock and poultry viscera can all be used as bait for lobsters.

In addition, legume feed should be boiled in boiling water, otherwise it is not conducive to the lobster's absorption of the plant protein in it.

4. Safety measures

It is necessary to prevent invasions by enemies such as rats, frogs, water birds, water snakes, and water centipedes, so netting should be installed around the shrimp pond.

As for diseases, Australian lobsters are quite strong in disease resistance, and the main thing to prevent is parasites, so disinfecting the pond before releasing the fry is very important.

Warm reminder: when farming lobsters, the use of pesticides is strictly prohibited, so the shrimp pond should be kept away from farmland and orchards.