A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

What about Blue Crabs?

There has been several discussions about Prawns in aquaponics. I was still thinking about them (tasty they are) and what it would take to get some into my setup. Then last night a new thought crossed my mind - Blue Crabs!

They will live (but not reproduce) in freshwater. They don't mind each other's company (unlike prawn) and don't require a special permit (unlike prawn). If they come from brackish or saltwater, you have to acclimate them for a few weeks to get them in freshwater, but then they do fine. They are also very cold tolerant.

Best of all they are great boiled with Bay's, Garlic and some red pepper flakes.

They do like a higher calcium level in the water (which tomatoes like as well)for shell formation, will grow large and quickly. They eat anything and can be harvested for free from many bays (or buy a bushel directly off a crabber's boat).

There could even be a commercial market.. perhaps?

Florida's version of the prawn?

Any thoughts?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on September 18, 2010 at 7:13am

Sounds interesting. Try it out and let us know how you do with it.

Of course if you do well with it, we will all be wanting some one to set up a hatchery so we can get stocks of young without having to worry about crabs coming out of polluted waters and stuff as well as depleting natural populations.

So how much are they escape artists they way yabbies and craw fish are? I understand that with those you have to escape proof their tank of you may find dried up creatures have left the tank to go for a walk and then get caught out in the dry when the sun comes out and dry to death.

Permalink Reply by Cori MacNaughton on September 18, 2010 at 12:52pm

Sounds like a great idea, though I would personally tend to keep them separate from the freshwater aquaponics system, and keep them in brackish water, so that they would reproduce. Just my personal preference.

I'm interested to see how you fare with this experiment, particularly in the wake of the news that the dispersants used in the BP spill have already been found in blue crab larvae, which suggests that the Gulf blue crab populations may be suspect for some time to come. It would be nice to have actual seafood that you can guarantee are clean and free from contaminants.

Keep us posted!

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on September 18, 2010 at 5:06pm

Cori MacNaughton said:

I'm interested to see how you fare with this experiment, particularly in the wake of the news that the dispersants used in the BP spill have already been found in blue crab larvae, which suggests that the Gulf blue crab populations may be suspect for some time to come. It would be nice to have actual seafood that you can guarantee are clean and free from contaminants.

Keep us posted!

Sigh, terrible news. Saddly, the seafood situation from the gulf may be bad for a while.
Yes anyone who manages to raise blue crab, please share your experiences.

Permalink Reply by Daniel E Murphy on September 18, 2010 at 5:16pm

Are there any edible plants which require brackish water?

Permalink Reply by Ron Thompson on September 18, 2010 at 5:42pm

Cat Tail is the only one I know.. and I'm not that hungry.

We have a healthy Blue Crab population from Cedar Key south to Hernando County that has not been affected by the oil spill. The currents have kept the pollution well away from our shores.

A little known secret is that a large number of the Chesapeake Bay restaurants are serving Crystal River Blue Crabs. Several trucks a week drive north full of live crab, they are met partway to transfer the crab to local trucks.

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on September 18, 2010 at 5:44pm

There are some plants that can handle higher levels of salt but I'm not thinking of many edible saltwater plants other than some seaweed at the moment.

Permalink Reply by Daniel E Murphy on September 18, 2010 at 5:51pm

Which edible plants can be cultivated in brackish? That is a better question ;)

Permalink Reply by Ron Thompson on September 18, 2010 at 5:55pm

There are many plants with high salt tolerance that are edible.. they are found throughout the Caribbean Islands (or any oceanic island). Unfortunately most are rather too large and slow growing for for any system we could put together.

Permalink Reply by Daniel E Murphy on September 18, 2010 at 6:23pm

Maybe seaweed was the answer. I love seaweed salad ;)

Permalink Reply by Cooking Cajun on May 11, 2011 at 7:53am

Ron,

Have you given the blue crabs a shot since you originally posted?

C.C. (NW Florida, Zone 8b)

Permalink Reply by Ron Thompson on May 11, 2011 at 4:03pm

No.. I decided doesn't make sense if they can't breed in the water that could be used for plant cultivation. Using fresh water as a holding tank works but then I just have to keep buying crabs (which I could do as needed anyway). If I could have gotten a breeding population going, then it would be worthwhile. I haven't given up the idea, just back-burnered it.