Giant freshwater prawn is a key aquaculture species, favored for its suitability to Vietnam’s climate, along with its high economic value and productivity. It is a source of sustainable profit for farmers. To fully unlock this potential, applying the right farming techniques is extremely important. Đức Bình Microbial Products will help you learn about: standard giant freshwater prawn farming techniques, to ensure outstanding quality and optimal yield for a successful crop.
Giant freshwater prawn farming techniques ensuring the best yield and quality
1. Preparing the Pond Before Stocking Prawn Fry
Treating the pond is always one of the most basic and important steps you should carry out first. This ensures the pond stays in the best possible condition. At the same time, it helps avoid affecting the healthy growth of the prawns later on.
First, the pond needs to be cleaned and the pond bottom dried out for 10 to 15 days. At the same time, farmers need to make sure the pond banks are firmly reinforced. Next, drain the water and add clean water to carry out the pond-washing step.
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If the pH level of the pond soil does not meet the standard, a layer of lime should be applied. This helps balance the pond’s pH. If the pond is contaminated with alum (acid sulfate), it also needs to be treated right away before being rinsed clean with water again.
Proper giant freshwater prawn farming techniques
2. Preparing Water for the Giant Freshwater Prawn Pond
Preparing the farming water is also important, as it directly affects the prawns’ living environment. After being thoroughly disinfected, clean water is fed into the pond through a specialized filter bag system. The filter bag (usually made from cotton fabric) is custom-sized in terms of dimensions and diameter, and plays an essential role in removing impurities and suspended particles present in the water supply. This process ensures that the water environment in the pond meets the highest hygiene standards, creating optimal conditions for the healthy development of the prawns.
Once the water level in the pond reaches 1m to 1.2m, the paddlewheel aerator system should be installed. The number of aerators will depend on the total surface area of the pond. After installing the aerator system for the prawn pond, keep the aerators running for about half a day. The purpose is to develop the water color as well as create a natural food source available in the water for the prawns.
In addition, the pH level must be maintained between 7.0 and 8.5. Meanwhile, alkalinity should be around 20 ppm. This is the recommended level suitable for giant freshwater prawn farming techniques.
Treating the pond is always one of the most basic and important steps
3. How to Choose Prawn Fry and Stocking Instructions
Prawn fry should be selected carefully to ensure quality. This is because the quality of the fry can affect the overall yield at the end of the harvest. Fry should be selected from reputable hatcheries. One kilogram of fry here should contain from 70,000 to 100,000 individuals.
In addition, the size of the prawns should be uniform without too much variation. Additionally, the prawns must have an elongated shape and not appear cloudy in the body. They must move briskly and show no signs of disease. If you notice any problems with the fry, you should check back with the hatchery.
Before stocking the prawns, check the pH level of the pond again, because the water quality in the pond and in the hatchery can differ. Especially in terms of pH, which can cause the prawns to go into shock. Once the pH level has been confirmed to meet the standard, you can proceed to stock the prawns into the pond. The best time to do this is early in the morning.
Before stocking the prawns, check the pH level of the pond again
4. Proper Feed and Nutrition Management
Feed management plays a key role in optimizing costs and ensuring the prawns’ growth rate.
- Feed Quantity: The amount of feed provided must be balanced according to the growth stage, size, and current number of prawns in the pond to avoid waste and pollution of the pond bottom.
- Feeding Frequency: The daily feed ration should be divided into several meals (usually 3 to 4 times a day) so the prawns can absorb it better and to minimize leftover feed.
- Checking the Feeding Tray: Regularly use a feeding tray to monitor the prawns’ feeding activity, allowing you to adjust the feed amount accurately and avoid excess or shortage of feed.
5. Disease Control and the Use of Microbial Products
Prevention is better than cure — this is the golden rule in aquaculture, especially for giant freshwater prawns.
- Disease Prevention Principles: Follow a regular schedule for cleaning and disinfecting farming tools and equipment. Maintain a stable pond environment and avoid factors that cause stress to the prawns.
- Using Microbial Products: Emzeo TS Product and EM Stock Solution for Aquaculture play an important role in breaking down organic waste, controlling toxic algae, inhibiting disease-causing bacteria, and maintaining water quality. Using microbial products regularly helps create a balanced, healthy pond ecosystem.
- Monitoring Prawn Health: Regularly observe the prawns’ activity, color, and shell condition to detect abnormal signs early and take timely corrective action.
6. Some Points to Note in Giant Freshwater Prawn Farming Techniques
For giant freshwater prawns to grow optimally and achieve the highest yield, strictly controlling water environment parameters is essential, specifically:
Water Quality Management
Water quality is also important in giant freshwater prawn farming techniques. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is especially important, and a good oxygen monitoring system is necessary to achieve maximum yield. You should regularly check and monitor the dissolved oxygen concentration in the bottom water layer where the prawns live.
Use a sampling tool to collect samples from the appropriate water depth for dissolved oxygen analysis. It is important that the dissolved oxygen concentration in the bottom 30cm of water does not drop below 3 parts per million (ppm). A dissolved oxygen level of 3 ppm causes stress, and lower oxygen levels can cause death. Consistently low dissolved oxygen levels will also lead to lower-than-expected yields. The design and size of the aerator depend on the size and shape of the pond.
Water quality is also important in giant freshwater prawn farming techniques
Nitrogen Compounds
Nitrite at a concentration of 1.8 ppm can cause problems in hatcheries, although this concentration may not affect giant freshwater prawns in grow-out ponds. However, high nitrate concentrations in the pond are not recommended here.
In addition, an un-ionized ammonia concentration as low as 0.26 ppm at a pH of 6.83 has been reported to kill 50% of the prawns in a pond within 144 hours. Therefore, you must do your best to prevent un-ionized ammonia concentrations from reaching 0.1 ppm or higher.
Pond pH Level
High pH can cause mortality through the direct toxicity of pH itself. Giant freshwater prawns are best raised in ponds with a pH between 6.0 and 10.5, and pH levels below 6.5 or above 9.5 should be avoided if possible. High pH values commonly occur in waters with a total alkalinity of 50 ppm or lower and during dense algae blooms. Before stocking, ponds should be treated with lime to help balance the pH.
In some cases, dense phytoplankton growth can occur in ponds. To control algae, perform a bioassay before using any algaecide in the giant freshwater prawn pond. This helps eliminate the algae without affecting the prawns’ health or normal growth.
Giant freshwater prawns are best raised in ponds with a pH between 6.0 and 10.5
7. How to Harvest Giant Freshwater Prawns?
At the end of the grow-out season, prawns can be harvested once their quality is assured. Before harvesting, the water depth (or volume) should be reduced by half. To ensure the harvesting and draining process goes smoothly, a key prerequisite is that the pond must have a flat bottom and a reasonable slope to allow the water to drain quickly and completely.
During harvesting through the drainage sluice, prawns are usually collected outside the pond dike as they pass through the drainage pipe into the collection device. To avoid stress and possible mortality, provide adequate aeration for the water in the collection device.
It is advisable to selectively harvest larger prawns 4 to 6 weeks before the final harvest to increase the total yield of the pond. This way, giant freshwater prawns that have reached market size can be sold, while smaller ones continue to be raised to grow further.
Selective harvesting is usually carried out using a bar-type mesh trap 1 to 2 inches long, allowing prawns small enough to pass through the mesh to remain in the pond and continue growing, while larger prawns are removed. The prawn trap net here can be self-designed. You can adjust the size of the trap yourself to sort prawns according to the appropriate size standard.
Giant freshwater prawns are best raised in ponds with a pH between 6.0 and 10.5
Above is some information related to giant freshwater prawn farming techniques. In particular, information related to pond treatment and stock selection. This helps ensure the best preparation to help the prawns grow better. In addition, to learn more useful prawn-farming experience along with proper prawn care knowledge, please contact chephamvisinh.vn today.
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