Cray fish and Florida

[Aaron]

Which sp of cray are good for the main sp in AP? is this even a good idea? Yabbies or small lobster?

I would like to focus on cray and clam/oysters. Anyone have advice or exp?

But in Orlando fl it gets HOT! this is the biggest delema for me here.

[Aaron]

After much digging I came up with this
http://farmingcrawfish.com/index.html

th lady old me this:
sweet flavor
no brackish water needed for young
250 adults in a 8' x 18"tall kid pool
people allergic to saltwater lobster can eat these no problem.

BUT YOU NEED A PERMIT ~$100 to own them in Florida. But then you could legaly sell them commercialy too

[Aaron]

She said that they keep 250 adults in one of these
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/180-5810578...

keep them in a green house that gets 100+f in the winter (dot let water go below 58f) and open up the GH for the summer. Proper water movment and aeration will give problem free growing.

They are omnivores so they eat sinking catfish pellets and RABBIT PELLETS... yes that's what they do for thier farm. Sounds fun.

[Aaron]

To get a permit in FL you have to grow them commercially. So you have to submit system plans and production estimates... Etc

[David Hart]

I'd love to be able to grow the red claw too. The state (FL) also checks to see they can't escape, they want to know what you'll do with their 'waste' (fertilize my plants, of course)....and you can't be located in a 'flood zone'. My house is out of a flood zone by 200 feet or so.

http://aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/efs/srac/244fs.pdf

http://www.alcareertech.org/acta/aquaculture_julia_stewart.ppt



I heard 'stick fins' got hit pretty hard with our freezes this past winter. I hope they make a great recovery.

[TCLynx]

I have a friend who got an aquaculture permit at one point. He was not actually running a commercial set up. I think it mainly had to do with inspection of the site to make sure that the species could not escape or be easily released into the wild. Stuff like the location being above flood plain and fencing to keep people from steeling/releasing the animals and/or the tanks being in a secure building. The drains having a certain size mesh so water changes can't release animals to the wild and stuff like that. I believe the permit was also needed to transport restricted species.

I do have to wonder if redclaw really can be grown 250 adults in an 8 foot diameter tank. I would expect them to be too territorial for high density without cage layers and hides. I thought all crawfish like creatures were territorial.

[Aaron]

Nope. These sp are not aggessive. They can and do walk around on eachother. The lady said they are easy to keep in these tanks... Considering their $20 a pop, thar could be a viable option.

The Dep of Aqua said that he wants plans of the system. "you just have to convince me that you're running a commercial system"

TCLynx said:

I have a friend who got an aquaculture permit at one point. He was not actually running a commercial set up. I think it mainly had to do with inspection of the site to make sure that the species could not escape or be easily released into the wild. Stuff like the location being above flood plain and fencing to keep people from steeling/releasing the animals and/or the tanks being in a secure building. The drains having a certain size mesh so water changes can't release animals to the wild and stuff like that. I believe the permit was also needed to transport restricted species. I do have to wonder if redclaw really can be grown 250 adults in an 8 foot diameter tank. I would expect them to be too territorial for high density without cage layers and hides. I thought all crawfish like creatures were territorial.

[Aaron]

I've also been looking at more local versions. Looks like the blue electric crays that you get at the LFS are just a blue version of the common red swamp. Agressive, yes. Doable, we'll have to see.

[TCLynx]

I've heard of people culturing the giant tiger prawns under the rafts in large raft bed systems. Those again would require a permit and need warm water but they don't try to escape they way local crays would.

[George T]

Less than $20 apiece but expensive nonetheless.  Very interesting.

 

Small Breeders 4" - 5" are $5.25 Each 
Packed 18 to the box
Ratio: 6 Males / 12 Females

Aaron said:

Nope. These sp are not aggessive. They can and do walk around on eachother. The lady said they are easy to keep in these tanks... Considering their $20 a pop, thar could be a viable option.

[Michelle Silva]

TC, I've had three people from my  buying club ask if I was going to do prawns or shrimp. Maybe I can put them in my rafts? Do you know a good source to get them? I don't think it's difficult to get a permit, just another expense, so would have to make sure had a big enough market for them.

TCLynx said:

I've heard of people culturing the giant tiger prawns under the rafts in large raft bed systems. Those again would require a permit and need warm water but they don't try to escape they way local crays would.

[TCLynx]

Well, Friendlies did try the tiger prawns in their raft beds.  They found that they didn't manage to harvest enough of them to make them really salable.  I mean can you really market a product that you only manage to harvest about one meal for a family a year?  Keep in mind that you probably only get to raise about one prawn per meter squared of raft.

 

I don't know how hard it really is to get the aquaculture permit but seems to me you would have to get inspected and I believe they want the site fenced to keep people from releasing the animals into the wild.  It would cost probably something like $100 a year.  Miami Aquaculture and other places I know of will require proof of the permit before selling the prawns to you.

 

Now I don't know if there are any other edible smaller shrimp species that might be native but it seems to me that might be a better way to go but I don't know really.

[Daniel E Murphy]

Well, I have experimented with this.  The florida crawfish i caught enjoyed water not more than 2 ft high, plenty of decaying leaves from the lake then died of cold.  Before the cold, it was fine.  I didnt give it enough warmth.  I will let you know how my next one goes :P  My goal for this next attempt will be to build a small rice field.