How to Farm Freshwater Shrimp? Master Farming Techniques to Increase Yield
Q: How can the yield of freshwater shrimp be increased?
At present, in ponds where freshwater shrimp are the main species cultured, if the average yield per unit area can be raised to 80 kg/mu, relatively good economic returns can be achieved. The key techniques for increasing the yield per unit area in pond-based freshwater shrimp farming are introduced below:
I. Pond conditions. (1) Water source. The water source should be abundant, clean and pollution-free, meet fishery water standards, and allow convenient water intake and drainage. (2) Shrimp pond. The area should not be too large; 0.201-3.35 ha is preferable. (3) Pond slope and water depth. The slope should be 1:2.5-1:3, and the water depth 1.2-1.5 m. (4) Bottom substrate. The silt should not exceed 10 cm, and the bottom should have a certain slope toward the drainage outlet.
II. Preparation before stocking. (1) Pond clearing. 7-10 days before stocking, dissolve 75 kg of quicklime in water and splash it over the whole pond to thoroughly eliminate wild trash fish and pathogens. (2) Filling with water. 4 days after pond clearing, fill with water to 50 cm. (3) Applying base fertilizer. Before filling with water, apply 300-400 kg of fermented organic fertilizer per mu. (4) Planting aquatic plants. Plant aquatic plants such as tape grass, Elodea, and Potamogeton malaianus in the shallow-water zones along the pond perimeter; the planted area of aquatic plants should account for about 40% of the shrimp pond area.
III. Stocking model (implement two crops of stocking). (1) The first crop yields about 50 kg per unit. Stocking time is from late July to early August, with 40,000-50,000 shrimp fry about 2 cm in size stocked per mu. Stocking should be carried out in the early morning or evening on sunny days, avoiding direct sunlight during the day, and the full amount should be stocked at one time. To regulate water quality and control autumn reproduction, fish such as bighead carp must be stocked in polyculture. There are two polyculture methods: one is to polyculture large-size bighead carp, stocking 30 bighead carp of 0.3 kg each per mu; the other is to polyculture bighead carp and summer fry of blunt snout bream, 800 of each per mu. The first crop ends when the pond is drained in December. (2) The second crop is stocked from December to January with juvenile shrimp about 3 cm in size, at 20 kg per mu. They are cultured alone, without polyculture of fish. It ends by the end of June the following year.
IV. Feeding management. (1) Water quality. During the culture period, good water quality and a suitable water level must always be maintained. According to the water color and transparency of the shrimp pond, water should be added or drained in a timely manner to regulate water quality, maintain sufficient dissolved oxygen and fresh water quality in the pond, and promote the growth, development, and molting of the shrimp. In the later stage of culture, water should be changed frequently. If frequent water changes are not possible, an appropriate amount of photosynthetic bacteria and substrate improver can be splashed periodically. During the culture period, quicklime and phosphate fertilizer should also be applied at the right time according to the pond water pH and the calcium and phosphorus content. The amount of quicklime applied each time is 10-20 kg per mu, and the amount of superphosphate applied each time is 8-10 kg per mu. Generally, it is applied once about every 15 days. (2) Feeding and fertilizing. The feed should be mainly freshwater shrimp pellet feed, supplemented by fresh bait such as snails, clams, and small trash fish. The protein content of the pellet feed should reach more than 35%. The suitable feeding temperature for freshwater shrimp is about 25°C. Feeding should follow the "four fixed" principles (fixed time, fixed quality, fixed quantity, and fixed person). In the early stage of culture, suitable feed should be splashed over the whole pond, and later it should be placed on the shallow shoals around the pond and on feeding strips, with one feeding point set every 1-2 m. The number of feedings is generally 2 times per day; when the water temperature is 25-30°C, they should be fed 3 times per day. In the morning, feed 1/3, and in the afternoon, feed 2/3. Feeding should be uniform so that all freshwater shrimp in the pond can eat and be satiated. The daily feeding amount of artificial compound feed can first be trial-fed at 2.5-5% of the body weight of the shrimp in the pond, and then adjusted later according to the feeding situation of the shrimp. Generally, the degree is that the feed is consumed within 1-2 hours after feeding. The standing stock of freshwater shrimp in the pond can be roughly estimated based on the average number per unit area and the average body weight of the shrimp. In order to increase natural food organisms in the pond, additional fertilizer should be applied at the right time and in the right amount according to the water color and transparency of the shrimp pond. The water color of the pond is preferably yellow-green or tea-brown, and the transparency is preferably maintained at about 30 cm. (3) Aquatic plants. According to the growth of the aquatic plants, timely splash fertilizer solution in the planting area. The concentration of the fertilizer solution should not be too high, so as to avoid fertilizer damage. (4) Daily management. The shrimp pond must be managed by dedicated personnel, and pond inspections must be carried out 3-4 times every day, with corresponding measures taken promptly when problems are found. Pay attention to the environmental sanitation of the shrimp pond and strengthen the prevention and control of diseases and insect pests of freshwater shrimp.
I. Pond conditions. (1) Water source. The water source should be abundant, clean and pollution-free, meet fishery water standards, and allow convenient water intake and drainage. (2) Shrimp pond. The area should not be too large; 0.201-3.35 ha is preferable. (3) Pond slope and water depth. The slope should be 1:2.5-1:3, and the water depth 1.2-1.5 m. (4) Bottom substrate. The silt should not exceed 10 cm, and the bottom should have a certain slope toward the drainage outlet.
II. Preparation before stocking. (1) Pond clearing. 7-10 days before stocking, dissolve 75 kg of quicklime in water and splash it over the whole pond to thoroughly eliminate wild trash fish and pathogens. (2) Filling with water. 4 days after pond clearing, fill with water to 50 cm. (3) Applying base fertilizer. Before filling with water, apply 300-400 kg of fermented organic fertilizer per mu. (4) Planting aquatic plants. Plant aquatic plants such as tape grass, Elodea, and Potamogeton malaianus in the shallow-water zones along the pond perimeter; the planted area of aquatic plants should account for about 40% of the shrimp pond area.
III. Stocking model (implement two crops of stocking). (1) The first crop yields about 50 kg per unit. Stocking time is from late July to early August, with 40,000-50,000 shrimp fry about 2 cm in size stocked per mu. Stocking should be carried out in the early morning or evening on sunny days, avoiding direct sunlight during the day, and the full amount should be stocked at one time. To regulate water quality and control autumn reproduction, fish such as bighead carp must be stocked in polyculture. There are two polyculture methods: one is to polyculture large-size bighead carp, stocking 30 bighead carp of 0.3 kg each per mu; the other is to polyculture bighead carp and summer fry of blunt snout bream, 800 of each per mu. The first crop ends when the pond is drained in December. (2) The second crop is stocked from December to January with juvenile shrimp about 3 cm in size, at 20 kg per mu. They are cultured alone, without polyculture of fish. It ends by the end of June the following year.
IV. Feeding management. (1) Water quality. During the culture period, good water quality and a suitable water level must always be maintained. According to the water color and transparency of the shrimp pond, water should be added or drained in a timely manner to regulate water quality, maintain sufficient dissolved oxygen and fresh water quality in the pond, and promote the growth, development, and molting of the shrimp. In the later stage of culture, water should be changed frequently. If frequent water changes are not possible, an appropriate amount of photosynthetic bacteria and substrate improver can be splashed periodically. During the culture period, quicklime and phosphate fertilizer should also be applied at the right time according to the pond water pH and the calcium and phosphorus content. The amount of quicklime applied each time is 10-20 kg per mu, and the amount of superphosphate applied each time is 8-10 kg per mu. Generally, it is applied once about every 15 days. (2) Feeding and fertilizing. The feed should be mainly freshwater shrimp pellet feed, supplemented by fresh bait such as snails, clams, and small trash fish. The protein content of the pellet feed should reach more than 35%. The suitable feeding temperature for freshwater shrimp is about 25°C. Feeding should follow the "four fixed" principles (fixed time, fixed quality, fixed quantity, and fixed person). In the early stage of culture, suitable feed should be splashed over the whole pond, and later it should be placed on the shallow shoals around the pond and on feeding strips, with one feeding point set every 1-2 m. The number of feedings is generally 2 times per day; when the water temperature is 25-30°C, they should be fed 3 times per day. In the morning, feed 1/3, and in the afternoon, feed 2/3. Feeding should be uniform so that all freshwater shrimp in the pond can eat and be satiated. The daily feeding amount of artificial compound feed can first be trial-fed at 2.5-5% of the body weight of the shrimp in the pond, and then adjusted later according to the feeding situation of the shrimp. Generally, the degree is that the feed is consumed within 1-2 hours after feeding. The standing stock of freshwater shrimp in the pond can be roughly estimated based on the average number per unit area and the average body weight of the shrimp. In order to increase natural food organisms in the pond, additional fertilizer should be applied at the right time and in the right amount according to the water color and transparency of the shrimp pond. The water color of the pond is preferably yellow-green or tea-brown, and the transparency is preferably maintained at about 30 cm. (3) Aquatic plants. According to the growth of the aquatic plants, timely splash fertilizer solution in the planting area. The concentration of the fertilizer solution should not be too high, so as to avoid fertilizer damage. (4) Daily management. The shrimp pond must be managed by dedicated personnel, and pond inspections must be carried out 3-4 times every day, with corresponding measures taken promptly when problems are found. Pay attention to the environmental sanitation of the shrimp pond and strengthen the prevention and control of diseases and insect pests of freshwater shrimp.