What conditions are required for Chinese mitten crab farming?

Chinese mitten crabs hide away or live in burrows during the day and come out at night to forage around. They prefer water bodies with clear water quality, sufficient dissolved oxygen and abundant aquatic plants; they dislike nutrient-rich water and polluted water, are afraid of hypoxia, and are very obviously averse to poor water quality. They like dim light and fear strong light, and like quietness and fear disturbance. When the water temperature reaches above 10°C they begin to feed, at around 15°C they molt and grow, and 20-28°C is the peak growth period. Water temperature that is too high inhibits the feeding, growth and molting of river crabs.

Adult crab farming ponds should strive to meet the life habit requirements of the river crab described above, so that the Chinese mitten crabs live in an environment similar to natural conditions. Adult crab farming ponds are required to meet the following conditions:

1. Convenient transportation, quiet environment, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun.

2. Abundant water source, good water quality, convenient drainage and irrigation.

3. The area is generally 5-10 mu is suitable. If the area is too small, the water quality is not easy to stabilize; if too large, management is inconvenient.

4. Pond depth 1.5 m, water depth 1-1.2 m.

5. Pond slope 1:3. This can greatly reduce the number of river crabs living in burrows.

6. The pond shape is a rectangle running east-west with the length greater than the width, with a length-to-width ratio of 5:3.

7. Soil quality: the pond ridge is relatively wide, the soil is compact, and loam is best. The pond does not leak water, and the silt at the bottom of the pond does not exceed 5 cm.