Shrimp: breeding and growing as a business

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many aspiring entrepreneurs are wondering what to do so that the invested money not only does not disappear, but also brings a good profit. Food production has always been in the first place, because the need for fresh and wholesome food is basic for every person. A separate line today is the breeding and sale of marine life. The demand for seafood is growing every day, with the most sought after being marine crustaceans. The explanation is quite simple: shrimp and crayfish are tasty and he althy, and also have an affordable price compared to other marine life.

Shellfish in action

However, today we want to talk about shrimp not from the point of view of the consumer, but to consider it as an option for running a profitable business. You will be surprised how easy shrimp are to grow. Breeding these crustaceans does not require a large start-up capital. However, in just a few months, you can turn into a successful entrepreneur.

First question: business registration

Indeed, many are afraid to go outto the food production market, because they are afraid of difficulties in obtaining the necessary documents and permits. No less questions are raised by the vital activity of the shrimp itself. Breeding must comply with certain rules and regulations. However, this business cannot be called a new trend. For the first time people were engaged in such fishing in the 70s. It was then that shrimp farms began to appear throughout Europe. Russia did not stand aside either, and freshwater, giant shrimp began to be in the greatest demand here.

For home and soul

Each of you can try yourself as a shrimp breeder. Breeding crustaceans at home does not require registration of a private enterprise with the tax office and may well bring good profits. And if you understand that this is really the work of your whole life, then you can safely increase the scale of production and open an industrial farm.

Shrimp types

The next question is who will be your end user. The fact is that there are different shrimp, the breeding and sale of which is fundamentally different.

• Decorative dwarf crustaceans, or filter-feeding shrimp. They are used primarily to decorate aquariums. They are unsuitable for food and are sold through a network of pet stores. In fact, keeping shrimp is not difficult, so if you have a large aquarium and a certain skill, you can regularly get offspring and sell them to amateur aquarists.
• However, if youif you want to do a really profitable business, it is much better to pay attention to king and tiger prawns, which are used directly for food. They are in great demand among restaurateurs and owners of large grocery stores. It is on this variant that we want to dwell today. Of course, the content of shrimp that are farmed for food is somewhat different. First of all, you will have to ensure constant supply volumes so that the customer is interested in working with you.

Buying breeding shrimp

Having decided on what kind of crustaceans you want to breed, you need to carefully study the features of their life support. The cultivation technology can be found in the specialized literature, but it would be best if a person who already has practical experience in such breeding tells about the main difficulties. It is according to the recommendations that you need to look for a retail outlet where you can buy shrimp for breeding. It is desirable that it be close to you, as this will save on transportation. You cannot do this in a simple package, you need special mobile containers that will maintain the viability of the shrimp. For beginners, it is best to enlist the help of experts who will check the condition of the crustaceans.

You can take the path of least resistance. This is especially important if you have shrimp for the first time. The reproduction of these crustaceans is fraught with great difficulties, since in Russia it is possible to create optimal conditions for themnot easy. It is in Europe that you can arrange "corrals" right in the usual reservoirs, that is, the natural habitat. Therefore, it is possible to buy fry in a special farm and grow adult crustaceans from them. After the life cycle is over, it will be possible to purchase new young stock.

Successfully you can breed those species that are resistant to diseases. For example, a tiger gets sick very often during the breeding season, and the percentage of survival of young animals is relatively small. But the Rosenbergs are more stable.

Where to breed shrimp

Don't be fooled and think that you won't need serious preparation. First of all, you need to prepare a place where the shrimp will live. Reproduction and subsequent cultivation will be successful only if the conditions suitable for these creatures are created. That is, immediately after you have decided on the supplier of live crustaceans, you need to equip a place for their placement. Since the climatic conditions in Russia do not imply the possibility of breeding marine life in natural reservoirs, there are several opportunities for a budding entrepreneur.

Aquarium or pool?

The choice is most often made on the basis of usable area. The larger it is, the larger the enterprise will be. There are two options to consider:

• Pool depth 1-1.5 meters. It is not necessary to make a stationary, heated pool, it is enough, a pool for breeding a giant freshwater shrimp at home can beplace right at home. Of course, the amount of exported products will also depend on the size of the pool. Home shrimp farming can be cost effective if you have at least 100 live shrimp at one time. At the same time, room temperature for crustaceans is even more preferable than outdoor temperature. The most important thing is that the temperature does not fall below +13 degrees, and Ph is above 9. It is recommended to lay out the bottom of the pool with tiles or broken stones so that your crustaceans can hide under them. Experts recommend installing a recirculating water system in their pools. In this case, you get automatic control of the optimal temperature, oxygen and lighting.
• Cultivation of shrimp at home can also be successfully carried out in an aquarium, but in this case, the volume of output will be very limited. Many individuals cannot be grown even with a sufficiently large capacity. That is, in this case, you will focus on individuals who feed the predatory inhabitants of their aquariums with seafood.

Arthropod nutrition

Shrimp food will have to be purchased in specialized stores, so you should also look for suppliers in advance. It is extremely important to provide them with a he althy diet. For the normal life of a large shrimp, a lot of food with an increased protein content is needed. We must not forget that these creatures can eat each other if they are not provided with the necessary amount of food.

Food forIt is better to buy shrimp only from trusted manufacturers. The fact is that this creation is very selective. It waits until the food swells well in water, and then selects the most tidbits from it. Therefore, manufacturers of elite mixtures make it of such density and with such components that the shrimp can eat everything. Trying to make feed mixtures on your own is not worth it, this can negatively affect the growth and development of young animals.

Equipment and optimal conditions

Shrimp farming is a process that requires all the subtleties, and therefore, it is best to start with one or two individuals to make sure that the conditions you create are really ideal. Experts say that you need to follow a number of rules, otherwise your business will start to make losses.

• In order for crustaceans to grow well, it is necessary to maintain the optimum water temperature - + 22-28 gr., Because the shrimp is extremely thermophilic.
• You can't keep too many individuals in one pool. Overpopulation will cause them to start eating each other, which will negatively affect business.
• If you have a very busy work schedule, think about who will take care of your pets during the day. It is extremely important to constantly feed them (and especially the larvae) so that they do not experience hunger. They buy special, balanced food for them. After all, it is in your interest that the crustaceans grow well and gain mass.
• The molting period is the most important period in the life of a shrimp. Badlythe adjusted temperature regime at this time will cause the mass death of your pets. Therefore, it is impossible to save on a system for maintaining the temperature regime of water.

By following these simple rules, you can achieve stable growth and development, as well as active reproduction of crustaceans. In 12 months, each individual can reach a weight of 100 g.

We purchase equipment

First of all, you need to find capacious aquariums or pools. If you want to reach a stable supply of shrimp to shops or restaurants in a year, then it is advisable to immediately purchase at least 12 of them and populate them at intervals of a month. Then in a year you will be able to empty them one by one and populate them with young ones. Shrimp farming equipment includes a system for maintaining the optimum water temperature.

In addition, each aquarium or pool will require a separate oxygen circulation system. It is very expensive, but if you want your pets to grow up he althy, gain weight and reproduce well, then it is not worth saving.

Habitats for crustaceans must be covered with special soil. Its amount must be calculated based on the following proportion: for a 50-liter aquarium - 9 kg of coarse soil. A shrimp farm will not do without the arthropods themselves. It is desirable that there are four females per male.

Preliminary calculations

Of course, if you start with a small pool to meet your family'ssea delicacies, the costs will be completely different. However, industrial shrimp farming is a business that requires significant investment. In order to quickly take a place in the market, it is necessary to provide solid production capacities. In this case, about 700 thousand rubles will be spent on purchasing special equipment. A ton of arthropods or their larvae is another 35 thousand rubles. Approximately 120 thousand will be spent on fattening. In addition, you will need a room for which you need to pay rent and utilities, as well as employees who will look after the shrimp. That is, it will take approximately 1,350,000 rubles to start a business right away with good turnover.

Why you should pay attention to this business

Shrimp farming has a number of advantages. Demand for crustaceans never falls, on the contrary, prices only rise. But how could it be otherwise, because it is the most delicious and he althy, and also a dietary food product. Shrimp is quick to cook and goes well with any side dish, suitable for baby food.

Cultivation of arthropods at home is an opportunity to enter a business with a small investment and pay it back in about a year, after which you will start making a profit. By the way, shrimp farming as a business is a unique idea of its kind, because you will not have competitors. This is a highly demanded product and if you are willing to provide competitive prices, you will become an entrepreneur who sells quality and cheap domestic products.

Marketplace

Shrimp is in great demand, so finding a consumer is not the most difficult task. However, from the first days it will most likely not be possible to conclude a supply agreement with large shopping centers, restaurants and specialized fish markets. However, this does not matter, there are many small shops that will be happy to buy goods from you. By creating a name for yourself, in about a year you will be able to fully return the invested money and, for example, open your own branded seafood store.