Vannamei Shrimp Feeding Schedule Management in Biofloc System

Vannamei shrimp feeding schedule management in the Biofloc System plays a vital role. Vannamei shrimp farming is a short-duration culture as the animals became marketable size within 90 days of culture. This is a highly profitable business due to high demand in domestic as well as international markets and the same way it carries lots of challenges. The culture is simple but not easy.

Whether it’s traditional shrimp farming or Biofloc shrimp farming, the major challenge is to maintain the required water parameters though out the entire culture period. The shrimp feed is one of the key influential factors to the imbalance the water parameters of the shrimp pond. The shrimp feed contains high protein which helps to promote the growth of the animals and the wastage of the shrimp feed in water pollutes the water and the consequence of which animals die.

High protein feed when it remains in the water for a long period of time, slowly it starts decomposing resulting in highly toxic gas formation in the culture water, known as Ammonia. Ammonia is highly dangerous to animals, it can kill all the animals just in a few hours if it’s not get neutralized.

So in shrimp farming, it’s very essential to follow proper Vannamei Shrimp Feeding Schedule Management to avoid feed wastage. There are no certain guidelines for shrimp feeding schedules that can help to stop excess feed wastage.

When you buy shrimp feed from the market, the standard feeding guidelines can be found in the shrimp feed packet. Different shrimp companies have different feeding guidelines but these are the generic ones, which cannot be followed exactly by whatever they have mentioned otherwise you will end up with a big problem.

The guidelines that are mentioned in the shrimp feed packet is only meant for traditional shrimp farming but not for Biofloc Shrimp Farming. Because in traditional shrimp farming the wastage of feed is more that’s the reason the FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio) is high i.e. 1.5 to 2. This means on average 1.5kg to 2kg of shrimp feed is needed to grow 1 kg of shrimp.

But in Biofloc Shrimp Farming, the FCR is very low i.e. under 1, which means only 1kg of shrimp feed is needed to grow 1kg of shrimp. Because in the Biofloc System shrimp feeds never get wasted but rather reutilized in a different form, which we called as FLOC.

So if you follow the instructions which are mentioned in the feeding packet in Biofloc System, the feed wastage will be very high and it will be very difficult to manage water parameters.

So in Biofloc System, Vannamei shrimp feeding schedule management is completely different than traditional shrimp farming. In shrimp farming, one must master feeding management to get good results as it’s the key influential factor that has the potential to disturb culture water parameters.

In shrimp farming, the feed demand and supply are calculated based on the shrimp check trays. Shrimp check trays are the best way to monitor and manage the feeding schedule. Let’s say if you are doing shrimp farming in a 1-acre pond, then you should have at least 2 numbers of shrimp check trays to understand the feed demand and supply.

Normally we add 4-5% of the given feed into the check tray and observe it for 1-2 hours to find out the demand for the feed and accordingly we either increase or decrease the amount of feed. So check trays are the best way to manage feeding in shrimp farming.

Vannamei Shrimp Feeding Schedule in Biofloc System

Based on my experience doing shrimp farming in Biofloc System for more than 4 years, I have come up with this Vannamei Feeding Chart for Biofloc System that may help you. I have prepared it for 100,000 shrimps and starting from day one to day 100 how much you need to feed them.

Again this data is also not fixed, you may alter it based on the shrimp check tray management. All the information is written on the above shrimp feeding chart table in very simple and easy way so that anyone can understand it.

• Stocking Density:              Number of shrimp PL’s stocked
• Number of Days:               Every 10 days you need to change the feeding pattern
• Feed Number::                  Shrimp feed has a number, accordingly, you need to feed them
• Body Weight in Grams:   Need to check the current shrimp body weight
• Percentage of Feed:          Based on their current  body weight, calculate the total biomass
• Per Day Feed in KG::        Per day how much feed is supplied in Kilograms
• Total Feed:                          Total feed consumed every 10 days

Conclusion

It takes some time to understand the Vannamei Shrimp Feeding Schedule and its management in Biofloc System. High protein shrimp feed may hamper the shrimp culture water if its not managed well. The recommendations that are given in the shrimp feed packet are only meant for the traditional shrimp farmers as the feed waste is more but not for the Biofloc Shrimp Farming. So never follow the company-recommended shrimp feed guidelines. I have created the above shrimp feeding chart based on my shrimp farming experience in Biofloc System. Follow this guideline and make the changes based on check tray data.

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How to Prepare Egg Custard for Feeding Shrimp Larvae

Food is the most critical aspect of the breeding process of shrimps and fishes. In the natural breeding process, these animals know where a good amount of natural food will be available accordingly they migrate to those places during the breeding process. Because during the larvae stage these animals are very small and for survival, they need very tiny food which they can consume easily. In natural environments like rivers, streams, or sea those type of food is widely available i.e. phytoplanktons and zooplanktons.

But in the commercial breeding process in hatcheries, we need to prepare or create such type of food which these baby larvae can consume and digest easily. In this blog, I am going to share such type of food which we call “Egg Custard”. This feed can be used in Biofloc System.

Materials Required For Egg Custard Preparation

The following materials are required for preparing Egg Custards;

• Poultry Egg
• Mussel or Prawn Meat
• Wheat Flour (Atta)
• Skimmed Milk Powder
• Multi-Vitamins Capsules  (Click here to buy)
• Calcium Phosphorus Suspension   (Click here to buy)
• Cod Liver Oil   (Click here to buy)

Appliance Required

• Knife  (Click here to buy)
• Sieve  (Click here to buy)
• Blender or Mixer (Click here to buy)
• Steel Container with Cover
• Rice Cooker (Click here to buy)

Amount of Ingredients Required To Make 100 Grams Egg Custard

Here is the amount of ingredients required for preparing 100 grams of custard egg feed for feeding shrimp larvae. Depending upon how much quantity of larvae you have accordingly you can prepare the feed.

1.      Egg (One)                                                   40 grams
2.      Mussel/Prawn Meat                                 20 grams
3.      Wheat Flour                                               15 grams
4.      Skimmed Milk Powder                            20 grams
5.      Multi-Vitamin Capsules                          1 gram
6.      Calcium Phosphorus Suspension          2 ml
7.      Cod Liver Oil                                              2 ml

Preparation Procedures of 100 grams of Egg Custard

Follow the below preparation guidelines as mentioned to get the perfect results.

1. Step:     Blend 25-30 grams of either Mussel Meat or Prawn Meat in a mixer
2. Step:     Collect 20 grams of meat in a blender
3. Step:     Add one whole egg with yolk and stir it thoroughly
4. Step:     Add 15 grams of wheat flour
5. Step:     Add 20 grams of milk powder
6. Step:     Add 1 gram of Vitamin Capsule (soak the capsule in hot water for 5 minutes)
7. Step:     Add 2 ml of Calcium Phosphorous Suspensions
8. Step:     Add 2 ml of Cod Liver Oil
9. Step:     Now mix it thoroughly in a mixer
10. Step:     Collect the mixture in a steel container
11. Step:     Put the steel container in the rice cooker containing water and cover it
12. Step:     Allow it to cook in the rice cooker for 30 minutes until it solidifies into a custard
13. Step:     Turn off the rice cooker and take out egg custard and cool it for 30 minutes
14. Step:     Cut the cake into small cubes and store it in a refrigerator at 4 degrees centigrade
15. Step:     The prepared egg custard can be used for a maximum period of 3 days

How to Feed Egg Custard to Shrimp Larvae

Now the feed is prepared, it’s time to feed the animals. The custard cubes cannot be fed to the animals directly, they need to be broken down into very tiny chunks so that they can grab and consume them easily. Here are the steps you need to follow for feeding the prepared egg custards to the shrimp larvae.

Step 1:     Take the required amount of egg custard cubes and rub them in a steel or plastic sieve in running tap water along with a 100-micron filter mesh

Step 2:     Collect the fine particles that come from the sieve to filter mesh in a container or beaker

Step 3:     Using a dropper, feed the animals manually by dropping the egg custard particles nearer to them and observe if they are able to consume it. The amount of feed given is decided based on the feed demand.

Step 4:     Remove uneaten feed that is getting settled down in the bottom of the tank to avoid any toxic gas formation

Step 5:     Feed them 4-5 times per day for faster growth

Conclusion

Post shrimp breeding, feeding plays a vital role, so its very essential to understand and adopt the right feeding management for the shrimp larvae. Egg custard feeding is one of the best practices followed by most shrimp and fish hatcheries. While feeding the shrimp larvae you need to monitor closely to check if the given feed is getting consumed and observe the feed demand timelines based upon which you can control the feeding schedule.

Please share your thought on this egg custard preparation process and if you have any brilliant ideas you can also share them in the comment section of this blog.

Thank you so much for spending some of your valuable time reading my content, I hope you like it.

Buy Best Minerals for Vannamei Shrimp Farming in Biofloc and Traditional Pond in India

Buy the best minerals for Vannamei Shrimp farming whether you are doing in Biofloc Systems or Traditional Ponds using freshwater or groundwater.  Vannamei shrimp farming is a very delicate and highly critical culture.  If you manage to complete the culture successfully, it will make you rich, and failing of which you may be bankrupt. This is a very highly profitable culture and in the same way, it carries lots of risks as well. So one can be successful if he/she knows each and every detail of the culture.

Role of Minerals in Vannamei Shrimp Culture

Before I discuss more the minerals for Vannamei Shrimp Farming, let me share a few more essential aspects with respect to the shrimp minerals. The Vannamei Shrimp is a marine animal, so its living environment is saline water i.e. seawater or brackish water. That’s the reason 99% of the shrimp farmers are doing this Vannamei shrimp culture in coastal areas because the seawater or brackish water can be easily available for the culture. In seawater, all the required amount of minerals are available naturally with a proper ratio, which is required by the shrimps.

If someone wants to do the Vannamei Shrimp Farming either in freshwater or groundwater with high salinity, the farming approach is completely different than that of seawater or brackish water farming. In freshwater or high saline groundwater the required amount of minerals for the Vannamei Shrimp are not available in the proper ratio, so to fulfill the mineral requirements we need to add the required amount of minerals for Vannamei Shrimps at regular intervals with a proper ratio to avoid any sort of malnutrition issues. That’s the reason the Vannamei Shrimp Minerals are highly essential if someone is doing the culture in non-seawater or brackish water.

Do Vannamei Shrimp need minerals frequently?

I hope now you understood why Vannamei Shrimp Minerals are required in farming. So Vannamei Shrimp grown from one stage, let’s say from 5grams to 10grams, they need to undergo a process called “molting”, during this process they release their body upper cover and build up new cover in few days. During this molting phase, they need a high amount of minerals (nutrition) to build their body’s upper cover. So unfulfillment of proper minerals can create havoc situation in culture ponds or tanks, which can tend to high mortality.

If you are not an experienced Vannamei Shrimp Farmer, it’s a bit difficult to understand when the Vannamei Shrimps will undergo molting. In that case, you can add the required amount of minerals to your Vannamei Shrimp culture pond or tank every 10 days, which will fulfill the mineral requirements for the Vannamei Shrimps whenever they need it.

This is one of the best practices that people follow doing Vannamei Shrimp Farming in freshwater or high-salinity groundwater.

Ingredients in Vannamei Shrimp Mineral

The Vannamei Shrimp Feed contains a high amount of Proteins, Fibre and Fats but apart from that shrimp need other micronutrients which help to make them strong and live healthily. There are a good amount of different types of micronutrients or minerals required for the shrimps during the culture period. The companies who makes the shrimp feeds, they understand these mineral requirements of the shrimps, so they also make the shrimp minerals. Here is a list of the critical minerals required by the shrimps

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Sulfate
• Cobalt
• Selenium
• Cupper

Minerals for Vannamei Shrimp Farming in Biofloc

Vannamei Shrimp Farming in Biofloc System is a completely different approach than that of the traditional way of doing Vannamei Shrimp culture in open earthen ponds. What is Biofloc System?, in a Biofloc system, we first develop a good and strong bacterial colony using the best probiotics for Biofloc, which helps maintain the required water parameters throughout the culture duration.

When the strong bacteria colony built up, when stock Vannamei Shrimps and ground them. Again in you are planning to culture Vannamei Shrimps in Biofloc System in freshwater or high-saline groundwater the process of culture is different than the seawater or brackish water culture.

Growing Vannamei Shrimps in Biofloc System using freshwater or high-saline water, the mineral requirements should be fulfilled with a required ratio. Unlike traditional Vannamei Shrimp farming in freshwater or high-saline groundwater where the mineral requirements are completely different.

In a Biofloc system, a very low amount of minerals is required depending upon the stocking density. Normally we follow the same technique i.e. every 10 days required amount of minerals are added into the Biofloc Tanks of Ponds.

Minerals for Vannamei Shrimp Farming in Traditional Pond

Doing Vannamei Shrimp Farming in an open pond with freshwater or high-saline groundwater process is different than the seawater or brackish water shrimp culture. Roughly around 80% of traditional shrimp farmers are using seawater or brackish water for Vannamei Shrimp Farming as its too challenging to culture in freshwater or high-saline groundwater.

Only shrimp farmers who have got good farming expertise, only those ones dare to culture Vannamei Shrimp Farming in freshwater or high-saline groundwater using the commercial shrimp minerals that are available in the market. As I talk to a few of these types of farmers, I came to know that they follow the lunar calendar, and based on that they apply the required amount of minerals into their pond. They believe that every lunar cycle the Vannamei Shrimps undergo the molting cycle.

Different shrimp farmers follow different shrimp farming practices based on their experience.

Where to Buy Minerals for Vannamei Shrimp and What is Vannamei Shrimp Mineral Price

Vannamei Shrimp minerals are widely available in coastal areas as mostly shrimp farming is done in those areas. If you are far away from coastal areas, you need to approach the local fish feed or shrimp feed supplier mostly they know where to get it as their nature of business is the same.

The Vannamei Shrimp Minerals Price varies ₹100 to ₹300 depending upon the manufacturers. Always buy the best minerals for vannamei shrimps to get better results.

You can also get a good number of sellers on the Amazon website who sells shrimp minerals, it will be easier for you to place an order and it will be delivered to your home.

If you want to Buy Minerals for Vannamei Shrimp Farming, you can WhatsApp us +91-9777876057