If you love prawns and you wish to raise some for yourself in your aquaponics, then waste no time in getting started. Raising prawns in your aquaponics can be an excellent way of adding a different touch of diversity to your system.
It’s possible to raise prawns together with your tilapia fish or any other fish you may have in your system. We will enlighten you on how to introduce freshwater prawns into your aquaponics system. So let’s begin.
Guidelines On Raising Prawns In Aquaponics
Raising prawns along with fish is pretty dynamic. Prawns are bottom feeders and they will feed on anything they find. This includes the fish waste that is not absorbed by your plants making them a reliable filtering animal. They can as well feed on snails and other organic matter so if you’re having issues with snails in your aquaponics, adding prawns might be a way out.
The best type of aquaponics to use for raising prawns is a floating raft. To introduce prawns into your aquaponics, integrate them into your fish tank or under the floating raft. You can as well integrate them in both floating raft and fish tank. Let’s discuss this in detail.
- Floating Raft: under your floating raft, it’s usually a habit to have a handful of organic waste such as dead roots, leaves, etc. Prawns like to feed on organic waste so they can be helpful in this aspect. You might also be wondering if prawns will feed on your plants’ roots, the answer depends. In a standard situation, prawns won’t eat your root. However, when they become hungry or when you have too much prawn population, it’s possible they bite on your plant roots. For this reason, ensure you control their population. Take out some if they become too many in your system.
- Fish Tank: another possible way to incorporate prawns into your aquaponics is to put them in your fish tank. Prawns are bottom dwellers, so you don’t have to worry about them crawling up to your fish. They will as well feed on excess fish waste thereby maintaining a clean bottom tank.
- Both Fish Tank & Floating Raft: it is also possible to incorporate prawns in both your fish tank and floating raft. This is usually the best option as you get to maintain clean both a fish tank and floating raft.
Precautions To Take When Raising Prawns In Aquaponics
Remember they both prawns and fish can be territorial so you need to keep both from each other. There are some precautions you need to put in place so your prawns and fish do not attack each other or even meet each other.
When prawns are in their juvenile stage, it’s possible for your fish to want to feed on them. So, it’s necessary you create a barrier to keep them away from each other. You can make use of a bird mesh with corner PVC trays by laying them in the bottom of your fish tank. This mesh will separate your prawns from your fish. The mesh is also permeable enough for the fish waste to move through the layers of the mesh to meet the prawns so they can feed on the fish waste.
Stocking Density
The recommended stocking density for a single prawn should be about two square feet of tank space.
Tank Size
You should have at least 135 gallons or 500 liters of a tank for both fish and prawns. There should however be a barrier like the bird mesh we discussed earlier.
Temperature Requirements
Theideal temperature for prawns should fall between 57 degrees to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the standard temperature is around 78 degrees to 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
Feeding
Prawns will feed on just about anything. You can however feed them with prawn pellets and planktons.
PH Range
Another requirement is pH range, therefore, you should ensure you monitor the pH with a quality pH matter. Prawns will do well with a recommended pH range between 7.8 to 8.5.
Temperature pH Meter Monitor Tester Sensor test Kit 0~14.0pH for Hydroponics Aquarium
Final Say On Raising Prawns In Aquaponics
We can see there are great benefits to raising prawns in your aquaponics. You can agree there’s nothing more amazing than having freshly harvested prawns together with fish from your aquaponics system. You get that fresh exclusive meaty taste compared to the regular frozen prawn sold in stores.
This is what you get raising both prawns and fish and if you plan to sell them it will also be a great investment. Prawns attain market size in about 4 to 6 months, so you can always have a steady sale once they are matured.
Eunice is an enthusiastic gardener with a passion for growing beautiful flowers. She loves nothing more than spending time in her garden, tending to her plants and enjoying the outdoors. Eunice has been gardening for over 15 years and has developed a unique style of landscaping that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. She is especially fond of growing roses and enjoys experimenting with different varieties and colors. Eunice takes great pride in her garden and often shares the fruits of her labor with friends and family. In her spare time, she enjoys reading gardening magazines and attending local horticulture events. Eunice is passionate about her hobby and is always eager to share her knowledge and experience with others.