# Aquaponics and shrimp?



## blu_redneck (Dec 26, 2007)

Would aquaponics and shrimp work? Why not? Approximate tank size on small scale workable/managable for small stature woman with back issues. Any info, articles, websites, thoughts appreciated.


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## blu_redneck (Dec 26, 2007)

Also, 500 shrimp is the minimum order. So the tank(s) as well as beds would be reflective of that. Thanks folks!


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

Sorry I can't help but am interested also so will follow this thread.


Wade


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

Yes, fresh water prawns will work with aquaponics. 

Just not by themselves. 

They don't produce enough waste to support the plants.
But if screened off, they work great with tilapia. Thrive in same temperature range and eat the solid waste from the fish.

Need lots of square footage not so much volume. As they grow you can spread them to the raft tanks used for plants.

No heavy lifting required. Slow and steady can handle the whole system. 

Your supplier can give you lots of advice.

At first I thought you had customer orders of 500 minimum.
That would be good.

If you start with 500 babies you'll need a minimum 50 square feet of horizontal surface. As they grow they need more space. If they all lived (they won't) you would need at least 1000 sq ft.
You would be lucky to have 300 survive. You could also harvest (eat) a few at a time as they grow out. 

Popcorn shrimp are 21 to the pound.
The best prices are for the 4 per pound. They're huge.

Goodluck and have fun.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

WildPrGardens said:


> Yes, fresh water prawns will work with aquaponics.
> 
> Just not by themselves.
> 
> ...


I lived in Boloxi years ago and used to buy 40-50 ct for $1.25 per lb.for general use. The popcorn were much smaller,maybe 60-70 or 70-80. The 21 ct. is much larger so I'm wondering has things changed?These were saltwater of course so maybe there is a different grading system? Just trying to understand!

Wade


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

I knew when I wrote that my memory was failing me.

The 21 count is the normal breaded shrimp serving that small restuarants have available. Prepackaged frozen. 

The popcorn shrimp is usually served self-serve buffet. I didn't remember the count. That count would seem to be pea sized.


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## 1shotwade (Jul 9, 2013)

I worked for Morrisons in Biloxi and 40-50 ct. was what we used for everything if that helps any. I also used to night fish under the Pop's Ferry bridge which was the dividing line between brack water and fresh water. During the run I would sweep the coast line with a 30' seine and sit there peeling shrimp while waiting for a bite. About all the shrimp I would catch were between 40 and 60 count size. Some nights I would end up with 30 lb. of shrimp.For a while it was like Forrest Gump lived with us. We had shrimp everything but I never did get tired of it.
The way I underestand it is that the "count" is the number of shrimp it takes to make 1 lb. so a 21ct. would be around 3/4 oz. each. That's pretty big shrimp! At least for the shrimp I was used to.I don't know. Maybe my memory is failing me.
We caught a shrimp one time at the Biloxi small boat harbor that would touch both ends of a 13" tackle box. They called it a rock shrimp,whatever that is. It was hugh!Seems the normal 40-50 count would be about the size of my little finger or maybe 2 1/2 to 3" long tail if that helps any.Ah! It's been too many years ago!

Wade


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

From what I remember the freshwater prawns (Macrobrachian sp) need regular harvest because some males will mature and when that happens the pheromone they produce stops the immature males from growing. To work around this you seine and sort out the mature males. They are either orange claw or blue claw when mature. I forget which one.

You might be able to boost production by putting shelters in the tank to prevent cannibalism. I would think that 8" sections of 1" or maybe 1 1/2" pvc pipe would work.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

http://www.aquacultureoftexas.com/tanks.htm

Quite a bit of info here. They use horizontal netting on a pvc frame to provide a lot more surface area so that more can be raised in a smaller area.


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## blu_redneck (Dec 26, 2007)

Thank you everyone for all your thoughts and answers! Since this is my thread, I'm going to take it another direction. Having shrimp alone won't produce enough waste. So, I'm thinking of what fish species to put with them(A), where do I look for hatchling fish?(B), finally, where does everyone find their supplies for the aquaponics set ups to start with?(C), IE: fish tubs, growing trays, growing medium, pumps, filters, etc.

Sorry this is so long winded, I'm just now really studying up on this subject and want to get it set up hopefully this year! I'm a newby to the whole process and need all the help, suggestions, real info, dependable websites, etc. possible to make this happen. Thankfully there is an aquaponics "farm" set up at a school just 7 miles away....I'll be gleaning all the info I can from that intructor as well. Thanks in advance! Anna


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I'd think that most folks built their own set ups. An above ground pool would make a dandy tank. There are also a variety of tanks available at agricultural supply stores. Some folks use watering troughs. I've seen set ups where haybales were stacked and plastic was used as a liner to make a tank. Same thing could be done by digging a hole and lining it with plastic.

Check with your local feed store. They will often have 'fish days' where a supplier brings fingerlings to the store for folks to come pick up.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I wouldn't dismiss shrimp because they don't produce enough waste. The amount of waste produced is dependent on how much feed you put in the tank not the animal species.


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## WildPrGardens (Mar 8, 2014)

fishhead said:


> I wouldn't dismiss shrimp because they don't produce enough waste. The amount of waste produced is dependent on how much feed you put in the tank not the animal species.


Where do you find this info? 

This seems to conflict with the studies and papers that I found by university researchers and professionals.

Shrimp feed on the waste of other species.
Decaying excess food is not an efficient way to nourish the plants.


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## phrogpharmer (Apr 25, 2005)

Fishhead is right. If you want a quality product and good growth, you feed your animals quality feed designed to fill their nutritional requirements. You feed your animals the recommended % body wt. per day in the proper manner and they will convert the feed into weight gain and feces. 
Stocking densities for shrimp are given in lbs/sq. ft. Stocking densities for tilapia are given in lbs/cu. ft 
Shrimp don't produce as much waste because they can't be jam packed in the water column like tilapia. So any given volume of water won't hold as much shrimp biomass as it can hold tilapia biomass. More biomass, more feed, more fertilizer for the plants. 
A hybrid polyculture system with tilapia and shrimp would probably work as long as you keep the two species separate. Prawns will grow much better if you keep them in turbid water. The best systems are so murky that you can't see the shrimp. 
Aquatic Eco-Systems has ponics supplies. So does FarmTech.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Two more factors are how fast you circulate the water through your tank and your filters and how efficient your nutrient removal system works.

You also have to consider the 'waste' that the shrimp expel after digesting the food.

You might be able to find some numbers on one of the RAC sites. The last year I was a voting member NCRAC funded a study of the organisms that break down the waste of an indoor shrimp system. I never heard what the results were but it's been long enough ago they should be public by now.


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## phrogpharmer (Apr 25, 2005)

I've noticed that prawns are very messy eaters. They tear the pellets apart with their little front feet (pedipalps?) and kind of eat in a cloud of wasted feed.
You might consider raising tilapia downstream of the prawns. Tilapia can filter feed as well as consume pellets and they will clean up after the prawns and make use of their leftovers. You'll need some current through the prawns to keep the waste moving into the tilapia.


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