Fresh Water Prawn and Crawfish Farming

[JonBikeBoy]

Want to try raising shrimp and crawfish on a small scale.

Any advice?

[patman30]

i have been thinking of doing same, as it seems pretty straight forward
on small scale, not commercial scale

[farmerjo]

All the Thai's around me who put in concrete block tanks to raise them have got rid of them.

I guess the shine wore off paying Pet prices to get breeders then growing them out and not getting the returns they thought.

You may have to check locally if a license is required to raise them.

There are plenty still raising them in Thailand,most of the info will be found on facebook.

[JonBikeBoy]

21 hours ago, patman30 said:

i have been thinking of doing same, as it seems pretty straight forward
on small scale, not commercial scale

I haven't found many of the farm projects I've started to be straight forward but enjoyed the learning process. My first attempt at Shrimp farming failed miserably. On the "expert" advice of my shrimp supplier I put 5 kg (aprox 350 shrimp) into my pond and never saw them again. 

[JonBikeBoy]

 

17 hours ago, farmerjo said:

All the Thai's around me who put in concrete block tanks to raise them have got rid of them.

I guess the shine wore off paying Pet prices to get breeders then growing them out and not getting the returns they thought.

You may have to check locally if a license is required to raise them.

There are plenty still raising them in Thailand,most of the info will be found on facebook.

 

I plan on trying in concrete tanks this time, thinking 5 mt by 1 mt by 60 cm deep with 2 monks to partition into up to 3 separate sections with a total of 50 Shrimp or Crayfish (10 ea. per sq. mt.). 

I can buy at a Shrimp farm for 3 bht ea. and Crawfish 5 bht each. I've seen Crawfish at Kamtien, the big garden market in Chiang Mai, for 40 bht each intended for home fish tanks (I hope!). 

No idea or ever heard about a license but as I'm raising only a few for personal consumption I don't think it will be an issue, same goes for being concerned about financial returns.

Do you have links to any FB pages you referred to?

 

 

 

[farmerjo]

20 minutes ago, JonBikeBoy said:

 

 

I plan on trying in concrete tanks this time, thinking 5 mt by 1 mt by 60 cm deep with 2 monks to partition into up to 3 separate sections with a total of 50 Shrimp or Crayfish (10 ea. per sq. mt.). 

I can buy at a Shrimp farm for 3 bht ea. and Crawfish 5 bht each. I've seen Crawfish at Kamtien, the big garden market in Chiang Mai, for 40 bht each intended for home fish tanks (I hope!). 

No idea or ever heard about a license but as I'm raising only a few for personal consumption I don't think it will be an issue, same goes for being concerned about financial returns.

Do you have links to any FB pages you referred to?

 

 

 

https://www.porpeangfarmthailand.com/crayfish

 

 

 

Edited January 22, 2021 by farmerjo

[patman30]

On 1/22/2021 at 7:10 AM, farmerjo said:

https://www.porpeangfarmthailand.com/crayfish

Thanks seem license needed when not native

they also got YT channel

 

[patman30]

On 1/22/2021 at 6:51 AM, JonBikeBoy said:

plan on trying in concrete tanks this time,

What benefit does concrete/cement/brick tanks have over plastic kids pool type tanks ?

[JonBikeBoy]

20 hours ago, patman30 said:

Thanks seem license needed when not native

they also got YT channel

 

 

Thanks turns out my wife has been following that channel (and I didn't even know she watches Youtube!) 

 

License makes sense. 

I expect one isn't needed for a few in a home aquarium, they sell them in pet stores here too, so wonder where the line is if I only have a small number and not selling them or raising in a pond?

Will check into it and try to find out.

[JonBikeBoy]

20 hours ago, patman30 said:

What benefit does concrete/cement/brick tanks have over plastic kids pool type tanks ?

 

I expect either is fine but I was advised 1 sq mt (talang wa) per crayfish so my 1 mt x 5 mt tank would only hold 50 or basically one nice feed of a crayfish boil (I use to be a Chef in New Orleans) for my family. So I figure plastic pool would be too small for my purposes and I'll build a  rectangle tank along the side of the building I use for my worm farm (see attached pic) would be a better use of space. If things work out I can then start raising them in the pond right next to it. Actually I stocked that pond with 350 Freshwater Prawns and never saw them again so will need to figure out that issue before restocking with anything besides fish. There are some tilapia in there now from when we had a flood and Pla Nin from my big fish pond ended up in there but I'm also considering catfish as I just found a buyer for them locally. 

[Sophon]

4 hours ago, JonBikeBoy said:

 

I expect either is fine but I was advised 1 sq mt (talang wa) per crayfish so my 1 mt x 5 mt tank would only hold 50 or basically one nice feed of a crayfish boil (I use to be a Chef in New Orleans) for my family. So I figure plastic pool would be too small for my purposes and I'll build a  rectangle tank along the side of the building I use for my worm farm (see attached pic) would be a better use of space. If things work out I can then start raising them in the pond right next to it. Actually I stocked that pond with 350 Freshwater Prawns and never saw them again so will need to figure out that issue before restocking with anything besides fish. There are some tilapia in there now from when we had a flood and Pla Nin from my big fish pond ended up in there but I'm also considering catfish as I just found a buyer for them locally. 

 

 

There seem to be some inconsistencies in your numbers. One talang wah is 4 sq.m., so is it one crayfish per talang wah or per sq.m.? And if it's only one crayfish per talang wah/sq.m. (in your earlier post you mentioned 10 per sq.m.), your 5 sq.m. tank would only hold either one or five crayfish. 

[Kinnock]

On 1/23/2021 at 11:40 AM, patman30 said:

What benefit does concrete/cement/brick tanks have over plastic kids pool type tanks ?

For shrimp I thought a pond dug out of the ground with a plastic liner was more common?

 

The depth is critical - too shallow are they get too hot or eaten by birds, too deep and they are difficult to catch, and the lower levels can become deoxygenated.

 

I also hear that over-feeding can be an issue, as it depletes the oxygen in the water.  Also disease risk from the seed stock, and from birds?

 

But when done right - can be a good business.

 

I'm not sure if it's true - but I was told that for simple, small scale - you add Tilapia to the shrimp pond, and they help control disease?  May be farmers folklore though, as I was told this over a Leo.

 

[farmerjo]

This was an interesting article on Thailands venture into the crawfish industry.

http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-06/08/c_136350638.htm

[JonBikeBoy]

22 hours ago, Sophon said:

 

There seem to be some inconsistencies in your numbers. One talang wah is 4 sq.m., so is it one crayfish per talang wah or per sq.m.? And if it's only one crayfish per talang wah/sq.m. (in your earlier post you mentioned 10 per sq.m.), your 5 sq.m. tank would only hold either one or five crayfish. 

 

Yeah sorry mistook Talang Wah for Sq mt, it's 10 per sq mt (I've been told) so would be 50 total (5 mt x 1 mt = 5 sq mt x 10 = 50)

 

 You did quote me  "1 sq mt (talang wa) per crayfish so my 1 mt x 5 mt tank " so my mistake is fairly obvious for someone who knew 

Edited January 25, 2021 by JonBikeBoy

[JonBikeBoy]

22 hours ago, Kinnock said:

For shrimp I thought a pond dug out of the ground with a plastic liner was more common?

 

The depth is critical - too shallow are they get too hot or eaten by birds, too deep and they are difficult to catch, and the lower levels can become deoxygenated.

 

I also hear that over-feeding can be an issue, as it depletes the oxygen in the water.  Also disease risk from the seed stock, and from birds?

 

But when done right - can be a good business.

 

I'm not sure if it's true - but I was told that for simple, small scale - you add Tilapia to the shrimp pond, and they help control disease?  May be farmers folklore though, as I was told this over a Leo.

 

 

Sorry no idea what is common, I've never seen shrimp grown in a pond.

 

The pic is what I tried, with the 50% shade cover to keep the temperature down and birds out as you mentioned.

 

I've also heard of keeping fish in the same pond as shrimp.

 

Thanks for your words of advice, I need all I can get! 

 

 

 

 

[JonBikeBoy]

3 hours ago, farmerjo said:

This was an interesting article on Thailands venture into the crawfish industry.

http://www.xinhuanet.com//english/2017-06/08/c_136350638.htm

 

Yeah another scam what a surprise. I just pay for what I want, never sign a contract or make any agreements and sell to whomever has cash. As I tell my business partner (the wife ????) our business philosophy is KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) - yeah it took some explaining to convince her I didn't mean her - LOL.

 

From the article "The prices of ornamental crayfish usually start at 100 baht each" so maybe these weren't suppose to be the eating kind. The ornamental one's are 40 bht each in Chiang Mai incl. the all white ones. 

 

Also it states "matured crayfish at a price between 400 baht to 700 baht (11 to 20 U.S. dollars) per km.", I wonder how many crayfish it takes to make a kilometer long line of them .... yeah I know they meant kg! 

 

 

[nervona81732]

On 1/21/2021 at 8:37 AM, patman30 said:

i have been thinking of doing same, as it seems pretty straight forward
on small scale, not commercial scale

I put 2 males and 4 females in my main pond about 3 1/2 years ago ,that I bought in town in Phibun and last week my wifes brought over to me something that looked like a very small lobster. Much bigger than the crawdads i was used to. Put them in , they will disappear and you won't see them for a long time and TNEN ????.

[RocketDog]

On 1/22/2021 at 6:29 AM, JonBikeBoy said:

I haven't found many of the farm projects I've started to be straight forward but enjoyed the learning process. My first attempt at Shrimp farming failed miserably. On the "expert" advice of my shrimp supplier I put 5 kg (aprox 350 shrimp) into my pond and never saw them again. 

Amazing. Some people will steal anything! ????

[Andycoops]

I would have thought a work permit would be the first thing required not a license.

[John Kenworthy]

Hi,I'm also interested in Red Claw farming,only problem being I can't find any.I'm down south,Nakhon Si Thammarat so if any body knows of any seller down this way,I would really appreciate it,starting to get frustrating.Cheers

[opalred]

line your pond or dam with plastic sheet  then lay rubber tires bottom and sides /holds plastic and 

crayfish live in them plastic stops them digging holes in mud  cheers allan

[JonBikeBoy]

15 hours ago, opalred said:

line your pond or dam with plastic sheet  then lay rubber tires bottom and sides /holds plastic and 

crayfish live in them plastic stops them digging holes in mud  cheers allan

Thanks, I was thinking of something similar with a thick plastic tarp that is staked up 50cm around the whole pond to make walls so they can not crawl out. Do you have any experience lining a pond, if so how thick of a sheet did you use? 

[opalred]

you put  sheet iron or old  ac roof sheeting around edge of pond  on wet day push into ground 200mm deep 300mm above ground stop the craws going on holidays  

cheers allan

[huuwi]

On 8/31/2021 at 2:10 PM, John Kenworthy said:

Hi,I'm also interested in Red Claw farming,only problem being I can't find any.I'm down south,Nakhon Si Thammarat so if any body knows of any seller down this way,I would really appreciate it,starting to get frustrating.Cheers

nearest to you i know is trang.