Key Technical Points for Chinese Mitten Crab Farming and a Detailed Guide to Daily Management Methods

The Chinese mitten crab is a type of river crab. In China, it is widely distributed along the long coastline stretching from the Liao River in the north to the Pearl River in the south, with the Yangtze River system producing the largest yields, the most delicious flavor, and very rich nutrition. Generally speaking, Chinese mitten crab specifically refers to the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) of the Yangtze River system. Farming Chinese mitten crabs requires little investment and offers high returns, making it a good path to prosperity.

1. Preparation Before Stocking

Use a dragnet to block escape routes. When disinfecting and clearing the pond, remove excess sludge, leaving only about 10 cm of sludge, and spread quicklime over the entire pond at 200—250 kg per mu to achieve thorough pond clearing and disinfection, remove debris and wild species, kill pathogens, and improve the substrate. Seven days after treatment, exchange the water once to flush out pollutants, then dry the pond for 3—5 days before adding water.

Plant Water Plants Well

In farming Chinese mitten crabs, the first step is to plant water plants well. Water plants are one of the natural food sources for Chinese mitten crabs, can effectively purify water quality, and serve as a place for the crabs to rest and hide from enemies. Algae are the main type. An appropriate amount of river snails can also be added. For more on planting water plants, you can read the article "Planting and Maintenance Techniques for Water Plants in Crab Farming Ponds."

Reasonable Stocking

Disinfect the crab seedlings before release and separate them evenly by size. When releasing, use a pen net to release them within the water area, and let the crabs adapt to the environment for 1 month before removing the pen net. Generally, crab seedling stocking should follow the "three suitable" and "one temporary holding" principles. That is, suitable density, suitable timing, and suitable size, with temporary holding before release. When releasing, the water should not be too deep, preferably 1.5—2 m; the most suitable temperature is 20—25 degrees.

Stocking Density

In an environment with abundant water plants and fresh water quality, generally about 300 crabs per mu should be released, so that the Chinese mitten crabs have sufficient space to live and grow. The best time to stock crab seedlings is generally from the end of February to March each year. If stocking is too early, overwintering mortality will be heavier; if too late, water temperature rises, some river crabs molt, and this will affect the survival rate after entering the pond.

Daily Pond Patrols

Morning pond patrols mainly check for leftover bait so that the day's feeding can be arranged; midday pond patrols mainly measure water temperature and observe water color conditions and pond water changes; evening and nighttime pond patrols mainly observe the activity and feeding conditions of the river crabs, and measures should be taken promptly when problems are found.

Precautions

Starting in October, based on the characteristic that mature crabs gradually come ashore, the remaining river crabs can be caught at night. After capture, the river crabs should be promptly rinsed clean of sludge with water and placed in a temporary holding box to rest for more than 2 hours, allowing them to clear sludge from their gills on their own and prevent death by suffocation.