Remember how I took them home for the summer and installed them in my own recirculating aquaculture system?
Well, they have grown like crazy. The warm outside conditions of my tank is very much to their liking and a lot of molting and growing occurred this summer.
Coincidentally, 4 prawns that were left in the air conditioned classroom tank over the summer have grown only slightly.
If you look on the side of the submerged white bucket, you can see a BC (Blue Claw) Alpha Male prawn.
See? Right down there.
This guy is huge. I'm not sure if my "shooting through water" shots do him justice, but he is pretty impressive in real life.
He is clinging to a 5 gallon bucket that holds the system pump.
I think most people can picture a 5 gallon bucket, so it's a pretty good size reference. He is taking up a good portion of the side of that bucket.
All of the shrimp are not this big, but all are "eating size" and I don't consider popcorn shrimp eating size, so ... well, you get the picture.
They are BIG.
Kinda' pretty too.
You might say they look good enough to eat.
17 comments:
So... when's dinner? ;0)
Seriously, wow. He's a big dude! Congratulations on a successful summer of prawn-growing!
So cool...looks a lot like our crayfish.
How did you get that prawn to pose:) Say cheese!!
wow. I really really want to play with a batch of those. hmmm.
Sayre,
Thanks!
I think maybe later this week!
3C,
I know, like a shrimp/craw cross!
Really neat critters.
FLBlogger,
Well, I certainly didn't say "Cocktail Sauce!"
Tai,
They are pretty amazing.
I am behind on my breeding plan, but I do have a preggy female isolated in a cage.
This is very interesting. Do you think that in my location (NE Ala.) I could get a hold of some of those baby prawns? I am seriously considering building some sort of fishery or shrimpery (ha!) as an extension of my water system when I redo the spring later this summer..
The overflow from the artesian well could go right into a reservoir for raising some type of critters.
That really is quite a fine looking creature. Love that blue claw.
That's a good project, I'm impressed.
Shrimp. An oxymoron.
Wow, that is really impressive!
took the words right out of my mouth! ;-)
FC,
Well that's bigger than most of what they are getting out of the river right now. When do we eat?
Thanks for sharing,
Billy
Wow. I'm really impressed. I was wondering how they were doing.
Annie,
They grow these at least as far north as Ohio, but the farther Nawth you go, the shorter the growing season.
A flow through runway system might work great for you.
MSU has lots of info on growing them.
You are closer than me to the nursery, which is in Texas.
Robin,
Beautiful aren't they?
Robert,
You know we have some native cousins of this guy in FL.
Native MOm,
Certainly so in this case!
Froggy,
Aren't they cool! I just find them fascinating.
Thunder,
Great minds.
Billy,
I was wondering how the river shrimping was going this year. Any news?
Jean,
These guys don't mess around when it comes to growing. Warm enough that they could still grow through october.
I just bought a Dish network from you sight (and I already have one!) I don't know what's going on, I'm just "click happy" tonight.
FC,
River shrimping is hit and miss. Some are getting their share and others getting nothing. Dad said MR. CJ has not been doing to well and that is my personal barometer.
Billy
FC
I have been reading you for some time now but this is my first comment. I have a couple of questions about the prawns.
I have been reading up on prawn culture and several sources have said that galvanized tanks will kill them. I see yours living happily in what appears to be such a tank. Have you coated it with anything?
I intend to aqualift St. Johns river water from the canal to a tank up at house level in a circulating single pass through system. Will they do ok in untreated river water? A while back the Welaka aquarium had a prawn in one of the tanks but I think they use spring water or perhaps filtered city water.
I have heard rumors from folks that the marine shrimp in the river are large this year and the farther above Palatka you go the bigger they are. Sadly I don't have a running outboard on the property right now.
Les
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