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To ease the transfer from hatchery water to pond water, the saltiness of the water is being measured
Black Tiger shrimps originate from the warm and salty waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Making the Luna Shrimp Farms’ Black Tiger shrimp feel at its comfort in salt water. As all Luna Shrimp Farms’ ponds are connected to the sea, the Bay of Bengal which flows into the Indian Ocean, the shrimps are actually living in their natural habitat.
So why is it important to measure the salinity level before we release the young shrimps in a small pond*?
First of all it is good to know that the young shrimps* are coming from hatcheries*. At the hatcheries, eggs of high-quality mother shrimps are used and raised until they have become young shrimps and are ready to be delivered to the farmer’s hand. Secondly, the water salinity level varies per region. For example, the waters around the mangrove area are much saltier. The hatcheries know the average salinity level per region and make sure the right young shrimps are being send to the farmer.
You would expect there is no reason to measure the salinity level at the farm. The opposite is true. Even though the hatcheries send young shrimps that are suitable for the salinity level in the respected pond, farmers still measure the salinity level of the water before they release the young shrimps in the nursery pond*. Why? Just to reassure as the salinity level may change because of heavy rains or any other kind of change in weather.
This way farmers know exactly which steps to take so that the shrimp feels at its comfort. The less salinity difference between the hatchery* water and the nursery pond* water, the sooner the young shrimp feels comfortable and can be released in the main pond*.
When the salinity difference is much larger, farmers take additional steps such as a slower acclimatization process*. What if the farmer doesn’t take good care of this process? The mortality rate raises, with all its consequences. Keep an eye on our socials and blog section, to learn more about the acclimatization process. The process where young shrimps are carefully released in the nursery pond.
*VOCABULARY
Post larvae (PL) ~ young shrimps
Hatchery ~ where young shrimps are raised from shrimp roe (egg) until young shrimp
PL stocking ~ releasing young shrimps in the pond
Nursery pond ~ small pond connected to the main pond
Main pond ~ large pond where the young shrimps reach their commercial size
Acclimatization process ~ step by step releasing the young shrimps in the nursery pond