Growing crayfish in aquariums. Growing crayfish at home

• • Cases
• • How to formalize a pond

Breeding crayfish is an easy and profitable business that allows you to get a stable profit with a relatively small investment. The material below will tell you about how crayfish should be grown at home, about the secrets of reducing risks, how to choose the right equipment and about a competent start. Ready-made cases will tell you how to raise healthy offspring, what to feed crayfish, what diseases they are prone to and what water temperature is optimal for their life.

Growing crayfish: a feature of a business idea

The desire to breed crayfish arises in many, since this business is profitable and has not yet been well mastered in our country. The advantage of this direction is that a businessman can earn money with a successful start in 20 months.

Crayfish can generate income for 6 months a year, and if the business grows to an industrial scale, it is possible to make a profit all year round.

It is advisable to start this type of business for someone who has an amount of 200,000 rubles or more.

If we talk about breeding crayfish in natural conditions, this business idea is perfect for rural residents whose area of ​​\u200b\u200bresidence borders on a natural reservoir. In order for the demand for products to always be high, it is better that the village where the business will be carried out is in close proximity to a populous city.

If crayfish are grown in artificial recirculating water systems, a good income from the sale of arthropods can be obtained all year round.

Strengths and weaknesses of the business

When planning a crayfish breeding business, you should know all about its pros and cons.

The advantages include:

• impressive costs only at the initial stage;
• a small number of competitors;
• the prospect of expanding business activities;
• unpretentiousness of crayfish, due to which labor costs in caring for arthropods will be minimal.

Before you breed crayfish, you should also study the negative aspects of this business option. It implies few cons, but they exist. This is:

• seasonality of business (if we talk about breeding crayfish in open water);
• delayed start (due to the characteristics of the growth and development of crustaceans);
• significant upfront costs.

Cases

To make sure that breeding crayfish is a profitable business, consider two cases. Every story is real.

Case number 1 on growing crayfish in an aquarium from Mikhail Aukumov from the city of Gus Khrustalny: “Before growing crayfish, I purchased a 250-liter frameless aquarium, filled it with stones and driftwood. My aquarium was stripped of metalwork as I know metal is bad for crayfish. To make the inhabitants of the aquarium comfortable, I made sure that the water temperature was not more than 15 degrees. Installed a filter in the aquarium and took care of aeration. After creating the most favorable conditions for arthropods, I populated my aquarium quite densely, launching 350 small individuals into it. But the minus of the aquarium is that it is possible to grow only underyearling crayfish in it, that is, a trifle. My crayfish didn't get sick and quickly gained weight as I changed the water and filters three times a year. To make the inhabitants of the aquarium larger, I released them in. There they grew up and gained commercial weight.

Case number 2 on growing crayfish in the basement from Mikhail Bortnikov from the city of Noginsk: “There is a basement in my country house and I decided to equip this room for doing business for breeding crayfish. I insulated the basement so that the crayfish would not be constantly in hibernation. For lighting, I hung a 200 watt lamp. I equipped my workplace with racks on which I placed aquariums. I covered the bottom of each aquarium with clean sand taken from the river coast, snags and pebbles. While the crayfish were young, he fed them with small daphnia, vinegar nematode, and crushed tubule. Instead of the crayfish-loved detritus, which is always found in natural reservoirs, I added fallen leaves of beech, alder and oak to the aquarium. I deliberately did not add freshly picked leaves to the aquarium, as I know that they release toxins into the water.

Step-by-step instructions on how to open your own business: tips, documentation, calculations, risks

If a decision has been made to start a business:

1. Decide on the market. It makes sense to call large hypermarkets, small supermarkets, restaurants, pubs, wholesale markets. When calling, you should ask if they want to buy this kind of product. If yes, then we move on.
2. We clearly define the type of crayfish that will be bred. Practice suggests that it is better to choose narrow-toed Far Eastern crayfish.
3. We decide on the place where the young animals will be purchased. There is no talk of buying larvae, since they are practically not sold anywhere. Usually they buy young animals in supermarkets where they sell crayfish. It is worth buying two females for each male. If there is no desire to buy, you can catch crayfish in reservoirs.
4. Decide on the necessary equipment. If arthropods will be raised in an aquarium, you will need to purchase such equipment for breeding crayfish as an aquarium, water purifiers, heaters, as well as special devices for supplying oxygen to crayfish. If crayfish will be grown in basement aquariums, it is worth providing lighting and buying/making aquarium racks.

If there is a desire to bring the business over time to an impressive industrial scale, it is worth buying everything in order to make a structure above street water bodies where adults will be grown.

1. We launch crayfish and wait until they grow up, turning into adults. When populating an aquarium with crayfish, you should remember that:

• water must be clean;
• the water temperature must be at least 15 degrees Celsius;
• the number of crayfish per 1 sq. m. should not exceed 350 pieces;
• one aquarium / reservoir should not contain crayfish of different species;
• the daily feed rate for one individual is 4-5% of its weight;
• you can feed crayfish with ordinary earthworms, larvae of various insects, snails, grated carrots and boiled potatoes;
• crayfish are amenable to fungal infections, so their health must be monitored;
• temperature differences must not be allowed;
• do not overfeed the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Important points: crayfish breeding business plan

To precede the breeding of crayfish should be drawn up in advance. Before making calculations, it should be clarified that crayfish gain marketable weight when their body length is 9-10 cm. With these parameters, the weight of each individual is on average 60 g. This weight in crayfish becomes after their third year of life.

If you breed crayfish in artificial intensive conditions using five 4-level recirculating water plants (abbreviation - RAS), after 180 days you will be able to collect 40 kg of crayfish, each weighing 40-50 g. After a 12-month period, you will be able to grow 90 kg of very large specimens, the weight of which will be from 100 to 130 grams. The first category will go at a wholesale cost of 600-700 rubles per kg, the second - at a price of 2500-2700 rubles per kg (hence, the revenue will be 300 thousand rubles).

The cost of RAS will be 140 thousand rubles. But there will be other costs as well. You will need to buy:

• RAS for four tiers, eight tanks (they will need 5 pieces). The total costs for this item will amount to 700,000 rubles.
• Adult crayfish (one family consists of 2 females and 1 male) - 115,000 rubles.
• Shelters and feeders (if the project so requires) - 17,000 rubles.
• Equipment - 15,000 rubles.
• Fan for the room - 5000 rubles.
• Scales - 3000 rubles.
• The total cost is 855,000 rubles.

Such a cancer farm will be able to pay for itself in 3.5-4 years.

Many novice businessmen are concerned about the question of what are the risks and how to minimize them. Independent experts claim that artificial breeding of crayfish in RAS has practically no disadvantages. But the advantages of this option are obvious. This is:

• the absence of the influence of the negative weather factor and other factors of the natural environment;
• reducing the risk of cancer;
• the possibility of monitoring the health status of arthropods;
• year-round trading cycle.

There are only two drawbacks to breeding crayfish in RAS. This is:

• high price of equipment;
• the need to allocate premises for such activities (if there is no free space of your own, you will have to rent a room).

Documents and legalization of activities

If an entrepreneur does not count on a serious scale of trade, he can breed crayfish in his personal subsidiary plot. In this case, the issue of sales can be organized, but the buyers will be very small.

If you want to take your business to a serious level, you will need to legalize it. In addition, shops and restaurants always require the presentation of official documents for the conformity of products. They are issued only to individual entrepreneurs, peasant farms or organizations. If it is possible to agree with large buyers on the sale of crayfish to them without documents, there will be a risk of receiving a fine for illegal business conduct (Article 14.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Therefore, it is worth registering as an IP. It is advisable to formalize the business before it starts. The tax rate in this case will be equal to 6% of income minus costs.

How to formalize a pond

It makes sense to rent a plot with a pond. Farmed invertebrates will have to issue a certificate in accordance with TR TS021/2011 (« About food safety» ) .

The founder of the business draws up a declaration and also registers it. The official certification body may request additionally:

• registration papers for opening an IP;
• protocol of laboratory special studies;
• official information about the VSE.

In some cases, a quality management certificate may be required.

Note! Since last 2018, accompanying veterinary documentation has been issued electronically through the FSIS "Mercury".

This material told everything about how it is possible to grow invertebrates in artificial intensive conditions in a subsidiary farm and cited an alternative business format as an example, which involves renting a large pond and breeding arthropods in natural conditions. Knowing everything about breeding crayfish, feel free to take on this type of business that promises high demand and good profits!

Breeding crayfish at home brings a stable income, which is provided by stable demand. The competition in this business is weak. Large fish farms do not want to deal with crustaceans closely, since at the initial stage the payback does not give the desired profit with large amounts of investment. It is quite difficult to sell large quantities in a short time: the most delicate cancer meat is an expensive product that can be offered to a limited circle of customers.

Consider two ways to organize a business on crayfish. The first one we will conditionally call “home production”. The second method involves breeding in conditions close to natural.

Crayfish breeding in RAS

The essence of the business idea for breeding in RAS (Recirculating Water Supply Plant): technology for breeding crayfish indoors.

Content conditions:

1. The presence of a room or a separate building where in the winter season the air temperature will not fall below -1 ° C (but it is better - not lower than + 15 ° C; in the first case, the crayfish will remain alive, in the second, they will continue to grow and gain weight).
2. At least three large containers made of safe material (metal will not work, we take plastic or plexiglass); stones, sand and clay are poured to the bottom (the layer should be sufficient for digging holes). Polypropylene pools for RAS will cost $ 400 / piece.
3. Cleaning filters (a crayfish breeding farm must be provided with clean water 24 hours a day, and with frequent manual water changes, claw-like ones grow and multiply poorly, and small crustaceans may die altogether).
4. Devices for catching and transporting crustaceans.
5. Oxygenerator with oximeter $1500.
6. Feed for $ 300 is enough for six months.

Why do you need multiple containers?

Under artificial conditions, the stocking density of individuals is too high. Naturally, large and strong crayfish will eat small ones. To prevent this from happening, after the appearance of a new offspring of adults, we plant them separately. NOT SMALL BUT BIG. Adults quickly adapt to new conditions. Babies can die.

What to feed? Suitable pieces of vegetables, meat, some cereals. There are also special foods for crayfish.

What type to breed? River crayfish take too long to acquire a marketable appearance. The best option for a home farm is blue crayfish. We buy them in a specialized fish farm.

How many individuals to start growing crayfish at home? It all depends on the size of the room, volume and number of aquariums. The ratio of males to females is 1:3. It is better to start with a small number of individuals. Observe, gain experience - then expand the business. In a container of 300 liters, you can plant, for example, 80 individuals.

Breeding crayfish in the country

The essence of the idea: breeding crayfish in a pond and other natural reservoirs.

Content conditions:

• own lake, made independently or rented (it needs to be cleaned, freed from predatory fish, and the bottom prepared);
• the reservoir will have to be divided into three parts with a strong mesh, or a separate nursery pool should be built (in one part, crustaceans are born, in the second they grow up, in the third they gain pre-sale weight);
• you will have to figure out how to provide a change of water in the lake; it can be a drain and supply pipes; if a river flows nearby, then you can put a powerful pump;
• the planting density of individuals is 5-7 per square meter (in practice, these figures are exceeded, but at the very beginning of your activity it is better to comply with the natural requirement).

It is better to start growing with fast-growing breeds specially bred for artificial reservoirs. Then you can plant and river.

To gain marketable weight, cancer requires an average of at least three years (under ideal living conditions). Do not believe when they say: planted in the spring - caught and sold in the fall. This business pays off only after a while. If crayfish grew quickly, they would cost a penny.

Crayfish of the best breeds for brood

In this business, success largely depends on the correct choice of the breed of cancer females, especially in the initial stages. The most interesting of them:

The Cuban Blue is an artificially bred breed of fast growing crayfish that reaches adult weight in less than a year. Cuban blue is not whimsical in the diet. It breeds well in sandy ponds with hard water.

"Australian" is the most sought after breed by wholesalers and restaurants. Requires chic and warm conditions for keeping. One individual needs 20 liters of water. But the Australian crayfish is very well adapted to pool cultivation.

The European Long Toed is a fast growing and very prolific breed. Bytsro breeds both in artificial and natural reservoirs.

"Marble Cancer" - Large-sized same-sex breed. It reproduces by parthenogenesis (female cells develop without fertilization). But for the maintenance of this breed, a water temperature of +28 degrees is required.

"Red swamp crayfish" - small in size, but perfectly adapted species on all continents except Australia. Not whimsical to the content, and the minimum water level for maintenance is only 15 cm.

Crayfish for brood are sold by fish, farms by weight and even by the piece on average $ 5 per female. Broodstocks are also offered under the order (300-500 individuals for $3/piece). The cost of females of the most expensive breeds can reach $ 100. Also, crayfish can be caught free of charge in natural reservoirs, but they will grow up to 4-5 years.

What do cancers need?

To successfully grow crustaceans, it is necessary to take into account their natural habitat, reproduction and growth. Let's outline the main points:

1. Crayfish love reservoirs with a low-silty dense bottom (sandy, clay), where calcareous rocks are present. A prerequisite is the presence of roots, snags, fallen trees, stones, where you can hide from predators.
2. Crustaceans are very sensitive to water quality. No wonder they are considered indicators of the purity of the reservoir. They will not live and breed where there is waste from industrial production, chemicals, where there is a lot of silt, overcrowding.
3. Water should be rich in oxygen (5-7 mg/l) and hydrogen (7-9 mg/l). Adults feel great at temperatures from +18 to +21 degrees. Small crustaceans need more heat - 21-24 degrees above zero.
4. Crayfish mate annually. Time varies by region. As a rule, this is the end of October - November or the end of February - March. One male can fertilize up to three females. She lays from 110 to 480 eggs. Of course, not everyone survives. From one female per year, up to 30 crustaceans are obtained.
5. Crayfish feed on both plant and animal food. These can be mosquito larvae, worms, small, “weedy” fish or weak specimens of medium-sized fish and algae. Cancers don't hunt. They grab whatever is nearby. They hold prey with claws and bite off piece by piece. The volume of food is 2% of its own weight. There is a special feed for crayfish, but they are not picky eaters. Crayfish can be fed with regular porridge.
6. Predatory fish, waterfowl, otters, muskrats prey on all species of the crustacean family.
7. The most dangerous are cancerous individuals that have shed. The lack of a shell makes them vulnerable. Therefore, during this period, cancer tries to hide deeper. And it comes out only in extreme cases, when it's time to eat. But molting is required. At this time, cancer cells grow.
8. If there is not enough food, the crustaceans eat each other. The strong eat the weak.
9. In nature, crayfish do not hibernate in winter. They burrow deeper, continue to feed in the same mode.

If the conditions are suitable (a good reservoir, enough food, warmth, no one to hunt), then the cancer reaches the “edible” type by the age of three. This circumstance also stops many businessmen. But there are breeds of fast-growing crayfish breeds that reach adult size in a period of up to 1 year such as the "Cuban Blue". In addition, in specialized stores you can buy one or two year old crustaceans for brood.

Ways of implementation

The most difficult thing in the cancer business is to grow this same cancer. Implementing it is easy. For example, you can hand over finished products to a wholesale buyer so as not to wrap up with transportation, storage and sanitary documents. Even at low wholesale selling prices, profitability will be firmly held above 100%. There will always be customers for this product. Offer claws at live weight.

• grocery stores;
• restaurants, cafes;
• beer bars, outlets;
• individual individuals.

The retail price in live weight is $10/kg. (this is about 5-7 pieces of small sizes). Grown products are easy to cook and sell ready-made. The popularity of such a snack exceeds even the popularity of fish and pizza.

Breeding and growing crayfish as a business at home in our country is only gaining momentum, and due to the unsatisfactory environmental situation and water pollution in our rivers, the number of crayfish is constantly decreasing, only properly organized crayfish farms can correct the situation.

In addition, our beer lovers are less and less fond of the usual fish as a snack, and more and more of crayfish!

Almost all over the world, on all continents, they breed crayfish. This business is so popular because there is no need for large investments even at the very beginning of this business, while the costs are reduced in the future, and sales grow from year to year.

Crayfish breeding as a business is not only a global production: at first it can be organized on a small scale, for example, even in ordinary home conditions. It will certainly bring income after a certain time, if you adhere to all the long-established standards for breeding crayfish. This is one of the best business ideas, low cost but requires some knowledge and diligence.

Organization of a crayfish breeding business at home

What reservoirs are suitable for breeding

You can breed crayfish in ordinary reservoirs that were dug specifically for this purpose or were used for breeding fish. Running water is optional. It is much more important that crayfish have the opportunity to build burrows in which they will spend most of their time. The bottom should be lined with small stones, gravel or clay.

Difficulties of breeding in aquariums

Some start breeding crayfish at home in large aquariums. However, if you are going to breed them for business, then aquariums will not be enough, they are only suitable for mastering and learning the processes of growing and breeding. There are other difficulties in growing these crustaceans in aquariums.

Firstly, the number of crustaceans bred in aquariums will be small, and secondly, many problems are associated with maintaining biological balance in such a small volume. The water must be constantly purified and the young must be isolated from the older ones to prevent cannibalism. Sometimes crayfish are kept in the same aquarium with fish, but you need to know that only some breeds can get along with crayfish without harming them and not being eaten themselves.

Video "How to breed crayfish at home"

Video breeding crayfish at home

Breeding in pools

If you still decide to add fish to crayfish, then you need to choose from those breeds that prefer to be closer to the surface, bottom fish, for example, some breeds of catfish so beloved by aquarists can be eaten by them. In turn, it is not necessary to keep expensive breeds and squids with them.

Indoor pools can be an ideal option, in which you can organize all the necessary conditions for year-round keeping of crayfish. In such reservoirs, they will be constantly active, eat well and grow quickly. From 3-4 similar pools, you can get about half a ton of crayfish for sale.

Don't expect big profits in the first year. First you need to grow a broodstock, and then expect them to receive crustaceans and subsequent profits.

The purchase of already adult females can significantly accelerate profits. But they are quite expensive, but if you have the appropriate finances for growing crayfish, you can try.

Pond breeding

If you are going to start breeding crayfish in ponds, then you should understand that this is a rather lengthy process, because due to the low temperature, the crayfish will be inactive, eat poorly and, accordingly, grow slowly.

If you have a suburban area, then you can dig a suitable reservoir. But it is worth thinking in advance that in addition to free space, bulk material, special equipment is also needed.

The depth of the reservoir should be at least one and a half meters, the minimum area is 30 m2, these are the minimum dimensions, but they are enough for a small livestock. This is a small reservoir and in order to save money, it can be dug out manually in a few weeks, but if you have a friend with a personal excavator, then it is better to entrust this work to him.

Digging a reservoir for breeding crayfish is not necessary in the form of a pool. The shape of the pit, in which there will be a spherical bottom, is more suitable for our case. For effective business, you will need not one, but two, even better, three or four such reservoirs.

As mentioned above, the bottom should be lined with stones or large pebbles, which must be sprinkled with river sand.

Sometimes a reservoir can overflow with water, so you need to worry about arranging a drain in advance. It's easy, just install the pipe, at the end of which there must be a net. If there is no grid, then your wards will have the opportunity to leave the reservoir and, of course, die.

Various garden vegetation sits along the edge of the reservoir, which plays not only the role of decor, but will also strengthen the banks, preventing them from collapsing.

For the winter, reservoirs are insulated, otherwise the water will freeze, and its inhabitants will die.

Conditions of detention

After your reservoir is ready, you just have to fill it with water and launch crayfish into it. The quality and purity of water is of great importance. If the reservoir is not flowing, then the water in it should change as it gets dirty - this is about once every 2 weeks. If the reservoir is equipped correctly and a drainage system is provided for, then this is not difficult. The pipe is opened, the old water is drained and new water is poured.

It is not necessary to drain all the water; a 1/3 update is enough. This will be enough to enrich the water with oxygen, while not disturbing your pets or disturbing the biological balance.

In our latitudes, crayfish can be bred (depending on the onset of cold weather) for about 7-8 months a year. However, this time should be enough. One female can usually give a couple of hundred crustaceans, but a few dozen usually live to large sizes.

Often, breeding crayfish at home is hampered by such an unpleasant phenomenon as crayfish cannibalism. Adult individuals perceive small crayfish as food and eat them with great pleasure. In particular, females are prone to this, which for a long time, carrying eggs, are in one place, as a result of which they often starve.

To prevent this phenomenon, females at this time need to be transplanted to another place i.e. a special incubator and as soon as the crustaceans hatch, they are removed from it, thereby increasing the number of surviving young.

The diet of small crustaceans is the same as adult crayfish:

• meat;
• dead fish;
• bread;
• vegetables.

There is a special food for small crustaceans on sale - this, of course, is an ideal option and growing crayfish will be more successful.

The composition of such feeds was developed by specialists and tested in practice, it includes:

• raw fats;
• cellulose
• digestible proteins;
• crude proteins;
• minced fish and flour;

Where to buy crayfish for breeding and what

Specifically, for breeding, mainly female crayfish will be needed, but males are also needed. Some crayfish breeders buy legged females that already have caviar. On average, to grow one ton of crayfish, you need to buy about four hundred females. Naturally, if you are just starting to breed, then there is a lot of this amount, for the first time fifty is enough.

You can also catch crayfish on your own in their natural habitats. Ponds of small size with well-established water exchange and aeration are the best place for further breeding of embryos in females.

You can buy crayfish for subsequent breeding at special enterprises that breed breeding stock for sale.

You can also do it even easier, namely, place an order for raklov, which you can meet at any grocery market that sells their production.

Breeding crayfish as a business - provides for savings at all stages.

Breeds of crayfish and features of their cultivation

Australian

In order to breed the Red Claw Australian, special conditions are required. This is the most "meaty" breed. Breeding is possible only in closed water bodies, and additional heating is required. Very often they are bred at home in aquariums, while their volume should not be less than 100 liters. This is enough for the normal maintenance of 3-4 individuals.

They have a need for periodic rises to the surface and this must be taken into account when arranging a reservoir. Burrows, various shelters and various snags should be provided in advance. They need these shelters for eating, resting and for the period of molting, which can occur anywhere, but then the cancer needs to hide somewhere.

They are unpretentious in food: they eat dead fish, aquatic vegetation, combined feed, bread.

You can plant fish with them, but not all breeds are suitable. It is better to buy fast-growing inexpensive species for these purposes, because there is a huge likelihood of overeating and the frequent death of fastidious fish. Ordinary guppeshki may be the best solution.

blue cuban

This type of crayfish is exceptionally unpretentious. Sizes are average. The water temperature is not more than 26C, the hardness is high. They feed on everything they can find at the bottom. Attacks on fish that swim close to them are not uncommon. If they are properly fed and properly cared for, then after six months the young reach the size of adults. In a reservoir in which Cubans are kept, the soil should be sandy, the vegetation should be coarse. Filtration and aeration of water is required. Crayfish of this breed, like all crustaceans, love to hide in various grottoes, burrows and shelters.

Marble

Marble, like the Australian, needs special breeding conditions: water temperature 20-28C, filtration and aeration. Abundant feeding. But the big advantage is that in a 100 l. can contain about twenty individuals. Reproduction is parthenogenesis. If anyone still does not know what it is, then in short this is a same-sex method, when cancer is both a female and a male. The larvae hatch on the abdomen for about a month. The young growth grows up to 15 cm. After the birth, the fry must be planted, otherwise the adults will definitely feast on them.

Business setup costs

Equipment and containers for breeding crayfish

For breeding crayfish in open-type reservoirs, insulation is still needed, since freezing of its lower layers is unacceptable.

It is more profitable to breed crayfish in pools or aquariums, but at the same time, at first, investments will be required to purchase specialized equipment:

But do not be afraid these are the costs of the first initial stage. Already next year they will be significantly lower and you may already be able to start making the first profit. As a result, the crayfish breeding business is profitable, and the payback period is 2 years.

More about equipment

If you decide to organize your own small crayfish farm, then additional equipment should be purchased to increase profitability. As you know, crayfish are creatures quite dependent on the conditions in which they are kept, as a result of which a logical conclusion suggests itself, the better conditions you organize for them, the sooner and better they will be able to repay you with good growth.

To fully equip the pond you will need:

• Thermal insulation equipment. It can be greenhouses, both specialized industrial production, and their own design. Greenhouses are needed to maintain the optimum water temperature for crayfish.
• To keep the water in the pond, you need a reliable frame, and it is better if it is made of polypropylene.
• The compressor is needed so that water stagnates in it, otherwise the growth of crayfish may slow down or stop altogether.
• An oxidizer, especially in winter, is needed to saturate the water with oxygen. You need to install it already in the fall and do not wait until the ice crust begins to cover the reservoir.
• A filtration system is needed in any case, including if water is replaced in a timely manner, since in any case, food residues and excretion of crayfish will accumulate at the bottom, which rotting and decomposing will pollute the water, which will negatively affect not only growth, but and shellfish health.

When breeding crayfish in aquariums, you need a special filtration system, as well as heating and compressor systems.

This video explains how a crayfish farm works and what needs to be done to speed up their growth.

Breeding crayfish in ponds

In closed reservoirs, it is possible to establish good control over the growth and development of crayfish and create a self-reproducing crayfish herd.

For breeding crayfish in large volumes and their further successful implementation, you will need a pond with running water, 2-5 meters deep, with a rocky or clay bottom.

Females with fertilized eggs are settled in the pond. In the spring, larvae hatch from eggs, and they grow and develop in natural conditions. This is the easiest and most suitable way to breed crayfish in a pond arranged in a personal plot. For successful cultivation and obtaining good results, it is necessary to maintain certain conditions in the reservoir (oxygen regime, water hardness, pH), corresponding to the ecology of crayfish, and also to feed if the natural food supply is not enough.

How fast does crayfish grow?

With careful care and favorable weather conditions, individuals of crayfish with a length of 9.5 cm and a weight of 33.4 g reach a size of 10.5-10.9 cm and an average weight 46.8 g for one warm season. Additional production under such conditions compared to natural water bodies will be about 54 kg/ha, with a piece growth of crayfish of 13.4 g. 39 kg / ha and with a piece increase in cancer weight of 9.8 g.

Given that crayfish reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years, a full-fledged self-reproducing herd is formed after about 4-5 years. From this moment, you can start their industrial capture, but not more than 20% of adult crayfish per year, so as not to disturb the established structure of the herd.