A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Prawns in raft tanks

I am just getting started in aquaponics and I am getting ideas on what type of fish can be used. But my question is can prawns be successfully grown in the raft tanks? I think that I am going to use tilapia for my grow out tanks. Will the prawns eat the plant roots? Thanks for the help!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chi Ma on July 6, 2011 at 7:08pm

Yes, you can use them.

Permalink Reply by Wayne Hall on July 6, 2011 at 7:12pm

Friendly Aquaponics has a good article available on their website regarding growing freshwater prawns http://friendlyaquaponics.com/docs/HowManyPrawnsCanISqueezeIn.pdf,

Permalink Reply by Kate Mink on July 6, 2011 at 7:13pm

See here

http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com/free-diy-stuff/free-downloads/

for a PDF on raising prawns in raft tanks from the people with the most commercial and teaching experience in Hawaii. (That sounds like an ad - sorry - I took their class, they're fantastic and really great people.)

good luck!

Permalink Reply by Nigel Clement on July 9, 2011 at 3:43am

Hi, I'm using malaysian fresh water prawns with no root attacks. My concern is that I may have too many as I was told that they are very territorial.

Permalink Reply by Chris Smith on July 9, 2011 at 10:45am

The giant river prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is a good variety to grow under the rafts. They will not growing roots but will eat decaying organic waste. I am having a hard time getting the post larvae here on the Big Island so I will soon be building a hatchery go I can breed and hatch my own once I get hold of some.

I have gone to local rivers and caught the wild prawns. They are Macrobrachium lar, the Tahitian prawn. I have put then into the troughs but they eventually wondered out and I found then dead all over the yard.

Here is a good publication on prawns.http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4100e/y4100e00.htm#TOC

Permalink Reply by DJ Bisson Jr on July 9, 2011 at 7:43pm

Thanks Chris, I found out about a month ago that there was a producer of prawn pl's about 5 miles from where I am located. Thats the reason why I am asking, I think that it is space that can be used perfectly for the prawns. Now I have a problem with finding a producer of tilapia? Blue Ridge aquaculture is less then 30 minutes away. They are one of the leading producers of tilapia in the US, but its hard to get any information from them. They just won't return my calls.

Chris Smith said:

The giant river prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is a good variety to grow under the rafts. They will not growing roots but will eat decaying organic waste. I am having a hard time getting the post larvae here on the Big Island so I will soon be building a hatchery go I can breed and hatch my own once I get hold of some.

I have gone to local rivers and caught the wild prawns. They are Macrobrachium lar, the Tahitian prawn. I have put then into the troughs but they eventually wondered out and I found then dead all over the yard.

Here is a good publication on prawns.http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4100e/y4100e00.htm#TOC