How to Build a Super Intensive Shrimp Farm
Fundacion Rapala – Building a Super Intensive Shrimp Farm is not a difficult task, but shrimp farmers need to follow specific guidelines and equip their farms with the necessary supporting facilities to ensure the successful growth and harvesting of shrimp. With the proper pond construction, shrimp can thrive, and survival rates will increase, ensuring healthy, disease-free shrimp that will yield maximum harvests.
Steps to Build a Shrimp Farm Pond
The process of creating a shrimp farm pond begins with selecting the right location, followed by constructing the pond according to the required specifications. Additionally, the farm should be equipped with other necessary facilities to support the shrimp farming process. Once these requirements are met, farmers can start preparing the pond for shrimp cultivation.
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Here are the steps to build a shrimp farm pond:
Location Selection
Choosing the right location is crucial, especially for land-based ponds. Not all types of soil are suitable for shrimp farming. The ideal soil for shrimp ponds is clay or loamy soil with some sand content. When selecting the location, ensure the following:
A clean, uncontaminated water source and reliable electricity supply.
Adequate transportation infrastructure and communication equipment.
The location should not be prone to flooding or contamination by hazardous waste (B3 materials).
Avoid building the farm in mangrove areas or conservation zones.
Ensure the location complies with zoning regulations.
The site should be located behind the beachline or riverbanks.
Ensure the soil is free from iron, which appears as a reddish color.
Pond Construction for Super Intensive Shrimp Farming
A shrimp farm typically consists of three types of ponds: the grow-out pond, sedimentation ponds, and wastewater treatment ponds. The pond size varies based on the type of farming technology used—extensive, semi-intensive, intensive, or super-intensive. In this case, we’ll focus on the construction of a pond for super intensive shrimp farming.
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For a super intensive shrimp pond, the construction must adhere to the following guidelines:
The pond is either made with concrete or lined with a layer (lining) to prevent soil manipulation at the pond’s base.
There should be no dead corners in the pond, keeping the angle of the sides less than 45 degrees. This results in a round-shaped pond.
The pond size should be between 1,000 to 3,000 square meters, with a minimum water depth of 2.6 meters and a slight slope of about 0.2% toward the drainage outlet to maintain water quality.
The sedimentation pond should have a minimum capacity of 30% of the total water volume in the farm.
These specifications are essential to provide an optimal environment for shrimp growth, ensuring well-maintained water quality and a disease-free thriving habitat.
Supporting Facilities for Shrimp Farming
To run an effective super intensive shrimp farm, several supporting facilities are required, including:
Shrimp seeds
Feed
Medicines and vitamins
Central drainage system
Water inlet and outlet gates
Paddle wheels
Blowers
Circulation pumps
Aerators
Digital measuring tools (pH meters, DO meters, thermometers, etc.)
Preparing the Shrimp Farm Pond
Once the pond and supporting equipment are set up, the next step is preparing the pond for shrimp cultivation. Before introducing shrimp seeds, the water in the sedimentation pond needs to be sterilized.
First, allow the water to settle and then measure its quality using digital tools. Parameters to check include temperature, salinity, pH levels, alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen. For super intensive shrimp farming ponds, there is no need to grow natural food like plankton.
Once the water is sterilized and its quality measured, it can be transferred to the grow-out pond. Shrimp seeds should be introduced during the early morning or late afternoon when sunlight intensity is low.
In super intensive farming, the stocking density is much higher than in other farming methods, ranging from 217 to 385 shrimp per cubic meter. Due to the high stocking density, the ponds require paddle wheels, blowers, and water pumps to fulfill the necessary requirements.
After stocking the shrimp, regular management of feeding based on the shrimp’s weight and water quality maintenance is essential. You need to adjust water levels, add or replace water, and monitor water quality by observing visual changes.
By regularly monitoring the shrimp and pond conditions, farmers can detect potential issues early, such as stress or diseases, and take preventive measures to maintain healthy shrimp and ensure a successful harvest.