Shrimp farm at home:

Frank MaltGuest14 November 2014 15:13:05

Okay, call me crazy but I really think that this is possible to do. I watched the guys harvesting live shrimp at a market in Thailand before and suddenly thought of the possibilities.
These guys were using 5 foot in diameter blue plastic tubs with a simple aquarium pump and air stone to grow shrimp. They produced results.
So how hard can this be to do at home providing you have the space?
I run an existing huge aquarium in my house and my Cichlids have had offspring a dozen times over the years, enough that I've given away several thousand to local fish shops around town in exchange for feeder fish.
I was eyeing some children sized inflatable wading pools for sale tonight in Q7 that would be ideal, pumps and filters would be low overhead.
I'm not thinking of a business venture, but just raising shrimp to have whenever my family wants to eat sea food.
I admit that I have no experience doing this but how hard can it be? Or is it? I was raised on the Alberta prairies where shrimp was at a premium but if I can do this in Vietnam and eat shrimp on a whim then I want to try it, and I can accommodate this in my garden.
Anybody have any non cynical constructive ideas??

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Frank Malt Guest

Frank MaltGuest14 November 2014 15:34:44

Your post is the answer to why Thai seafood imports are considered risky by the USA.

Getting rid of the poo is the problem. Don't forget one cubic metre of water weighs a ton!

Frank Malt Guest

Frank MaltGuest14 November 2014 15:42:48

Semantics Jaitch, somehow they even overcome that, what Is the real real reason that this could or might fail ?

Frank Malt Guest

Frank MaltGuest14 November 2014 23:53:58

Frank Malt wrote:
Semantics Jaitch, somehow they even overcome that, what Is the real real reason that this could or might fail ?

THIS is the reason for some of the Thai food hassles. I don't bullshit I regard help forums (fora) as serious help areas of the InterNet.

The problem in fish farming is the elimination of waste products. Doesn't matter if it is Thailand or salmon off the British Columbia coast. Poop causes worms and worms then eat in to the living fish. Same with cod - except their worms come from seal (in the sea) pooping so much in some areas around Newfoundland that the worms that grow in the seal poop then float off and start attacking cod. This damage is revealed in the dressed fish as feint blood circles.

Go check out VNese fish farms - they have the same problems but far, far, less than Thailand. You can buy sacks (big bags) of shrimp feed here in VN - they have some additives that fight bugs in them.

There are fish farms in Quan 7, down in the swamps at the end of O GO MOI and PHU THUAN Streets. It's not as easy as it first appears.

Why do you think the VNese buy shrimp instead of breeding them on roof tops?

Chances are that the Thai vendors grew the fish elsewhere, shipped them in plastic bags and filled up the containers you saw. I have a friend who sells (markets) animal feed for a large US company here, and I'll ask her what she knows about shrimp farming problems.

Frank Malt Guest

Frank MaltGuest15 November 2014 09:49:53

Thanks Jaitch, it makes perfect sense what you wrote. In the eighties I worked in a fish and chip shop in Calgary and one of my tasks was to cut around the circle worms in the cod fillets. All that cod came from St. Johns Newfoundland.

I'm wondering if I can overcome this dilemma with decent power filters, akin to what I use now in my aquarium. My fish are eight inches in diameter and they shit gross amounts but somehow it disappears through the filtration process.

I realize that shrimp are not very expensive here but I wanted a project to do at home.
If you peel a shrimp and bend the body into a curve, you will extract the excrement, most people just eat it as it is, but I always wash that out because it's like eating shit with your seafood.

Frank Malt Guest

Frank MaltGuest15 November 2014 11:36:27

Easier to buy them deveined.

About Newfy cod, since they controlled seal culling things are even worse - I have friends on the Burin Peninsula and things are tougher than ever. They are looking at tuna as an alternative income source.

I'm glad you know about profuse pooping - it's very damaging to all fish farming - the canned salmon is usually damaged product they couldn't sell on open shelf displays or even smoked.