Month-wise Prawn/Shrimp Farm Operations: Management and Maintenance for Better Profits

Welcome, shrimp farming enthusiasts! Are you looking to optimize your shrimp farm operations and maximize your profits? Look no further! This comprehensive guide will explore the importance of month-wise maintenance in shrimp farming and how it can lead to better financial gains. Efficiently managing a shrimp farm involves a delicate balance of factors, from water quality and temperature control to feeding schedules and disease prevention.

By implementing a systematic approach to maintenance tailored to each month’s unique requirements, you can boost productivity, minimize losses, and ensure the overall well-being of your shrimp. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of shrimp farm operations management with month-wise prawn/shrimp farm operations and uncover practical tips and techniques for optimizing your farm’s profitability month by month.

What is a Shrimp Farm?

A shrimp farm, or shrimp aquaculture, is the process of cultivating shrimp in controlled environments. This involves raising and nurturing shrimp species, like the Pacific white shrimp, in specifically designed ponds or tanks. Responsible shrimp farming practices prioritize sustainable production, maintaining water quality, preventing diseases, and minimizing ecological impact. Shrimp farms play a crucial role in meeting the worldwide demand for shrimp, providing a sustainable and reliable source of this popular seafood.

What is Shrimp Farm Operations Management?

Shrimp Farm Operations Management refers to the strategic and systematic approach to managing various aspects of shrimp farming to ensure optimal productivity, profitability, and sustainability. It involves planning, organizing, and implementing activities related to water quality management, feed management, disease prevention and treatment, stock management, harvesting, and marketing.

Effective operations management in shrimp farming focuses on optimizing production parameters, ensuring proper pond and equipment maintenance, implementing efficient feeding protocols, and monitoring environmental conditions.

How to Start a Shrimp Farm Tips for Better Profits

Species selection: Choose shrimp species that align with your farming goals, market demand, and environmental conditions. Consider factors such as taste, size, disease resistance, and market value. Popular species in the U.S. include Marine Shrimp, Giant Tiger Prawns, Freshwater Prawns, Blue Shrimp, and Brown Shrimp, among others.

Production methods: Explore different production methods such as pond culture, raceway systems, biofloc technology, recirculating aquaculture systems, or integrated multi-trophic aquaculture. Each method has advantages and considerations, affecting factors like production scale, water management, and environmental sustainability.

Farm location: Select a suitable location with clean and well-oxygenated water, market access, appropriate land availability, and essential infrastructure like electricity and freshwater sources. Consider climate conditions to ensure optimal growth and disease prevention.

In case you missed it: Common Shrimp/Prawn Diseases, Symptoms, Treatment: Check How this Guide Helps Shrimp Farmers

Essential equipment: Equip your shrimp farm with the necessary tools and machinery. Essential equipment includes aeration systems for oxygenation, water pumps for circulation, specialized nets for handling shrimp, water testing kits for monitoring water parameters, feeding equipment for precise and efficient feeding, grading tools for size uniformity, water filtration systems, and tanks or ponds for shrimp habitat.

Disease prevention: Implement preventive measures to protect your shrimp from diseases. Utilize disinfection products, probiotics, and medications as needed. Regularly monitor water quality parameters, maintain hygiene, and follow best management practices to ensure healthier stocks.

Business planning: Develop a comprehensive business plan that outlines your objectives, target market, financial projections, and marketing strategies. Assess market demand and feasibility to establish a strong foundation for your shrimp farming business.

Stock selection: Source healthy shrimp postlarvae from reputable hatcheries. Ensure proper transportation, acclimation, and quarantine procedures to prevent diseases and maintain the quality of your shrimp stock.

Feeding and management: Establish a well-balanced feeding schedule and closely monitor water quality parameters. Implement effective management protocols to optimize growth, minimize stress, and prevent diseases. Regularly assess the health and behavior of your shrimp to ensure their well-being.

Harvest and marketing: Plan and systematically harvest when shrimp reach the desired marketable size. Develop marketing strategies to promote your sustainably farmed shrimp and secure profitable sales channels. Consider local markets, restaurants, seafood distributors, and direct-to-consumer options.

Facilities & Components Required for Shrimp Farm Management

Maturation tanks: Eyestalk ablation techniques can be used to augment the limited supply of spawners from the wild in tiger shrimp hatcheries. Maturation tanks, whether circular, rectangular, or oval in shape, ensure a constant supply of gravid females. Tank capacity ranges from 5 to 40 tons with depths of 1.2 to 2 meters. The bottom substrate is not necessary for shrimps kept for less than five weeks. Continuous flow-through of seawater is facilitated through an inlet pipe and a double-cylinder standpipe for drainage.

Spawning tanks: Circular tanks with a flat or conical-shaped bottom are suitable for temporarily holding gravid females until spawning. Water holding capacity ranges from 50 liters to 1.5 tons. Tanks can be made of fiberglass, Plexiglass, plastic, or marine plywood.

Larval rearing tanks: Two rearing tanks are used: Small-Tank Hatchery System and Large-Tank Hatchery System. In Japan and Taiwan, larger tanks with more than 50 tons capacity are used, while in Southeast Asia, smaller larval rearing tanks of about 3 tons capacity are common. Tank shapes vary (circular, rectangular, or oval) with different capacities. Larvae are reared for 35-40 days in the Big Tank System.

In case you missed it: Month-Wise Poultry Farm Operations Maintenance and Management For Better Profits

Live food culture tanks: Tanks used for mass cultivation of live food organisms range from 1 to 20 tons in size. Tanks can be made of fiberglass, polyethylene, marine plywood, or concrete. The total tank capacity for live food culture is about 20% of the total tank capacity for larval rearing.

Water storage and filtration tanks: Water storage tanks should have a capacity of at least 20% of the larval rearing tanks. Tanks are typically made of reinforced concrete. Filtration systems, such as gravity or reversing filters, are necessary when the water is turbid. Filter materials can include white sand, charcoal, or gravel.

Aeration: Aeration is essential for maintaining sufficient dissolved oxygen concentration, even water temperature, and reducing ammonia content in the water. A roots blower, rotary blower, or air compressor can be used. Continuous aeration is crucial for larval survival, and an automatic switch with a standby generator is recommended.

Marine pumps: Centrifugal and submersible pumps are commonly used. The choice of the pump depends on the hatchery size and water requirements. Submersible pumps are suitable for small or backyard hatcheries, while centrifugal pumps are used for medium and large hatcheries.

Layout and construction: Important facilities include buildings, tanks, a pump house, a laboratory, and a staff house.

Requirements for Shrimp Pond Construction

Criteria of Selection of Site

Accessibility: The site should be easily reachable via a road or path.
Protection from floods and seepage: The site should be free from flood-prone areas and seepage issues.
Water supply: Adequate arrangements for a reliable system should be in place.
Water outlet: Proper provision for a water outlet should be made to maintain the desired water level in the pond.

Soil Permissible Parameters

Texture: The soil should have a composition of 40% sand, 20% silt, and 40% clay.
Color: The soil color should be blackish brown.
Moisture: The soil should have a moisture content of 35-40%.
Water retention capacity: The soil should retain at least 40% water.
Alkalinity, Hardness, Phosphate: The soil should have specific levels within the ranges mentioned.

Water Permissible Parameters

Temperature: The water temperature should be between 28-30 degrees Celsius.
Dissolved oxygen: The water should contain 5-10 mg/liter of dissolved oxygen.
Visibility: The water should have a visibility range of 35-40 cm.
pH: The pH level of the water should be between 7.0 and 8.5.
Alkalinity, Hardness, Conductivity, Salinity: The water parameters should fall within the specified ranges.
BOD, COD, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton: The water should meet the mentioned limits for these parameters.

In case you missed it: The Ultimate Guide to Sheep Vaccination Schedule: Deworming Chart/Calendar

Time Scheduling for Prawn/Shrimp Culture in Pond

Construction of Pond & Infrastructure	45 days
Nursery pond preparation & Stocking	15 days
Stocking of Seed in Grow out of Pond	45 days
Trial Netting	After 60 days of Stocking of seed
Soil & water analysis	Quarterly
Water exchange	Monthly after 60 days of Stocking
Partial Harvesting	After 150 days of Stocking
Total Harvesting	After 220-245 days of Stocking

General Operation, Activities, and Management of Shrimp Farm

Routine Shrimp Farm management is important for cultured organisms’ successful growth and survival. Optimal environmental conditions must be maintained, including water quality parameters such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and nitrogenous compounds.
Salinity levels should be kept between 30 and 32 ppt in spawning tanks to ensure good hatching rates. Temperature affects metabolic processes, with the optimum range for larvae growth and molting being 26-31°C.
Dissolved oxygen is critical, and aeration should be provided continuously to prevent high mortalities. pH levels should be maintained between 7.5 and 8.5 to avoid toxic ammonia. Regular monitoring of environmental parameters is necessary.
Feeding schemes are essential for shrimp larvae, particularly in the early stages when they cannot efficiently seek food. Diatoms can overgrow in rearing tanks, leading to mortality due to attachment to larvae appendages and water fouling.
Maintaining diatom density within specific ranges and adding new diatom cultures when needed helps ensure sufficient food levels.
Other food sources such as Brachionus and Artemia should also be provided. Feeding densities and strategies vary depending on the larval stage and species.
Postlarvae are nursed in concrete tanks, earthen ponds, or net cages in the nursery phase. Concrete tanks require aeration, diatom cultures, and proper substrate for larvae attachment. Artemia and other food sources are provided, and water changes are conducted daily.
Predator control measures, fertilization, and feeding with chopped mussel or cockle meat are implemented in earthen ponds. Nursery cages, floating or stationary, are supported by frames and stocked with postlarvae. Feeding and water quality management are similar to earthen ponds.