FW people-food species

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Clearwater guy

Piranha
MFK Member
Feb 27, 2010
579
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Michigan, USA
I keep looking, and searching, but cannot get anywhere on this. There is a guy local to me that is farming FW shrimp that are HUGE...but he's not like we are when it comes to showing off his stuff. The guy won't give any info, or let me see anything...But I know he is raising them by the TON, and selling them for $12-$18/lb...And they taste awesome!

That makes me want to know...What species would this be? where could I get them?

Same question about FW Prawns...What species, and where do I get them?

Same for Crawfish, and anything else that might be fun to raise for me to share with my Rays?

Also, I think that some of these are scavengers...so the thought of adding a new section to my sump comes to mind. that way, the little bits of scrap from the rays could be eaten...

Any thoughts? I did a lot of searches and just can't get the info that I need to know if this is pheasible.

Mike
 
The commonly raised freshwater prawn/shrimp (these terms are defined in so many different ways they are practically useless) is Macrobrachium rosenbergii. I'd think the growing season is too short for them in Michigan; some folks grow them in my area, but not much further north than that. Do you know if he has an indoor facility?

There's lots of crawfish farming info on the web. Also try your local agricultural extension agency. There are several farmed species; Procambarus clarkii and P. acutus are commonly farmed in the southern US and China, Pacifastacus leniusculus in the west and in Europe, Cherax quadricarinatus in southeast Asia and Australia, and so on. Are you wanting to set up a pond, or raise them in a tank?
 
He does indeed have an indoor facility.

His Shrimp look exactly like the Shrimp in the stores. From what I was reading here, I was thinking that they might be SW born and adapted to grow out in FW...but I really don't know.

Prawn is just a term for FW shrimp?

I want to raise them indoors, and preferrably in a way that they could scavange meat particles from what the rays eat. SO, I'm looking for something that would be put in a sump, but before the filter...

So the water would flow out of the ray pools, into the invertebrate/crustacian tank/pool, and then into the filtration part of the sump system.

Do-able? Even so, I'd like to experiment with some of these species even if it's on a smaller scale.

Mike
 
Ok, after reviewing the species that you listed, the Prawns actually look like they fit my criteria of eating pieces of meat and anything else that passes by them. So these guys just made my to-do list...I'm not sure how intensive I'll get with them, but as an experiment it will be fun. But the main point is that they will eat for free pretty much...I'll simply use them as my pre-filter, and maybe not have to dump meat particles out of my bag-filter every day.

Thanks for the Species info. Led me directly to some sources that sell adults and/or post-larvae. And if I find that breeding them and feeding the Larvae is more hassle than I want, then the post-larvae are available for $85 per thousand. I could swing that once a year or so.

Mike
 
Hes not going to tell you how to set one up. Thatd be a horrible business move. His system is proprietary. Guys are the same way in frog farming, if you got a working setup you protect it.
 
I understand that. But on the otherhand, his website indicated that he designs,builds and sells these systems for commercial purposes. I think he judged me as a non-millionaire and just wanted to give me the cold shoulder...Which is also a horrible business move.

When I had a few meetings with the farm extension and the product center at the local university while working on my Tilapia farming plan, the University guy told me the story about this guy (that I already knew about) raising freshwater shrimp that spent all his money on this thing because he thought people would go nuts over them, and the guy was telling me that he can't sell enough of them. It was nice that I was familiar with the place, having checked it out as much as humanly possible, because I was able to respond with what I knew. This guy's marketing program consisted of a website that hadn't been updated since it was put up years ago, a sign that he put out by the road, and during the summer he takes some shrimp to the farm market on Saturdays.

The thing that this guy will never know is that I may have been able to move some shrimp for him. What if my dad owned a huge restaurant franchise, or was the purchasing agent for a grocery store chain? No way to know if you don't take a minute to talk to some people who show an interest in what you are doing.

So, for him to take a week and tech me how to do it by myself? yeah, bad business. But do you think that it would really be simple enough to just learn how to do it just by looking at some that are alive in a tank?

I am one who can't succeed on my own. I know I need help with my ideas, and I love to share. My ideas are unique enough where I don't think anyone actually COULD steal them. So Which is a better business philosophy? Ask me in 5 years...lol.

Mike
 
Speaking of Crayfish... I bought a big bag at the store without reading the package good enough. For some reason I thought they would be just raw crayfish...nope. They were pre-cooked and cajun seasoned. So, I was able to have a test of whether or not I would like to share them with the rays.

Taste- ok. I'd eat them again, and my youngest kid ate 2 plates of them. The downside is that theres only half a bite in each one. So that must be why when people do them, they usually order 60 lbs online and have a party outside...Then you can just eat them like peanuts and socialize all night.

Anyone want to come to a party?

Mike
 
Ok, I've had some time to do a little research.

It looks like Prawns need fairly hard water. That could be a problem...

Do all of the crustaceans require hard water? And what about the Clams?

Thanks,
Mike
 
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