journal Portuguese Shrimp Aquaculture

[Fernando Freire]

Greetings from the other side o the world!

My name is Fernando Freire, I'm a 25 year old (almost) Marine Biologist with specialization in Aquaculture.

You may have heard about the current crisis in Europe wich Portugal, after Greece, is struggling very very hard to pass on this crisis.

I've worked for 5 years i the Aquarium business, working and managing one of the most famous Shops around my Country in wich I found my passion for water animals and specially Shrimps. I've worked with almost every specie available in the European market (except the 1-2 years new species like Tibee, Taiwan...).

In a conversation with my mother she suggested that I used my Bachelor in something new in the market, and a lightbulb came to my head instantly! Why not shrimps? more interesting, less expensive to breed and grow than fishes! Also the key f the business is the lack of true Aquacultures of these animals, shops only get them from outside of the country or they buy directly to breeders (not a legal activity).

I looked for my former Boss and buyed all the Aluminium structure, Aquariums and a lot ( I mean A LOT) of other materials that stayed in the Shop after it closed.

After a lot of planing I decided to star with half the structure that we had, 20 Aquariums, and modified the way it used to work: at the shop each aquarium had is own sump and each Aquarium had it's own water parameters. At my system I put t together that they worked horizontal by gravity (sump is lowered by 20cm) and the sump is the support of the 4 aquariums in that "line". The system is 4 Aquariums high and 5 long (the 1st being the Sump).

I rented a cool place from a Couple of old family friends, that is divided in 2 parts:

The entry - Now it's just the place where I have the leftovers and in the future it is just to have the other 20 Aquariums... I didn't think too much on this zone, I'm just assemblying the system and after that I'll get to the outside :-P It measures are 5,7m x 3,5m

The inside - Measuring 9,7m x 3,5m it's a great space to what I've got in mind for the beginning of this adventure! It has the system, in wich ALL aquariums are 1,2 x 0,4 x 0,35 (150L) with Sump on the back and I inverted the Aquariums that are working as Sumps.

It was important that the water arrived at the bigger side of the tank, which will be filled with floating plants and then It passes by 2x50mm holes to the front side of the system (back side of the aquarium ;-) ) the plumbing was simple, a 10cm slope between the 1st and last aquarium made in 32mm tubing. 1st it was in 20mm tubing but I had to change it.

At the front side, 1st it has to pass a 5cm height sponge, notice that below the sponge there's a hole with a tap, this provides easy clean for more macroscopic garbage that sediments. Easy work = Bigger happiness hehehe. then it must fall down to a plastic net I made, stitching with Nylon (it's GREAT!) and filled with 6-8L of Eheim Substract Pro to provide good colony space. I has a 20cm air stone working underneath so it oxygenates better the bacteria colony, and finnaly it goes to the 4 aquarium system feeded by a Eheim 1260 (2400L/h). But brutal water flow allows me to have a good aeration and less sedimentation in the filter media... also I can always shake the basket, bacteria falls, goes to all aquariums by the water pump providing important food for all Shrimp species ;-)

Then it falls down to each of the 4 aquariums by a Spay bar I made also: it's a 2cm tube with 20x 2mm holes that provides oxigenation and surface movement. Also here is a photo of the derivation I made from the main water pipe (just a T, and a Tap to close whenever I what to do anything in the aquariums. Working normally with all tap opened to max there is no difference in the water flow in any aquarium of the system. May the Shrimp God bless this Eheim 1260! Also, I used half bag of ADA Malaya and other half bag of ADA Amazonia, 9L total in each aquarium. I pretend to get the minerals from the Malaya and the low pH and KH/GH from the Amazonia. I'll provide this last 2 with some "salty shrimp" salts!

a bathroom (very little), a washbasin (in acrylic, because at the shop we had a lot of salt water and we all know what happens whit salt and metal, right? ;-) ) structure that supports a (+/-) 300L tank to put the RO water and prepare it before entering the system and also give me room to put some consumables for all this adventure . At this time the automatic reposition is ready for action but the pics I have don't have it! I also have a 1,8m stand for 3 Aquariums ( 2 x (0,6 x 0,6 x 0,35) + 1 x (0,5 x 0,5 x 0,6) meters) in which I will use to make some experiences. After that is a study table, to have all magazines, laptop, and stuff. Next is a cabinet for pieces and specific material that I got from the Shop. and finally is the Workbench, filled with tools necessary to put this baby running!

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And I think that's it for now, please feel free to ask any information / photos about any particular subject or system! Only your comments can help me improving all of the system!

Best regards,

Fernando

[ineke]

Hello again Fernando excellent journal. It looks to be a very good system. Cant wait for some more instalments and also the pictures of your shrimp as you add them. It is a system I think we all dream of but in the mean time I will be enthralled to see how you go. Good luck and thanks for sharing. I cant ask any informed questions because I am still at the few small tanks type of setup.

[MrShrimp]

Hi Fernado,Wow your pluming is amazing and I love the way you did your sump. Please keep us updated on your journey especially the part when you start adding shrimps :)

what water condition do shrimp breeders like in Portugal ? ( ph,tds,EC ) thank you.

[2OFUS]

Looking good

what shrimp will you be keeping ??

[Squiggle]

Wow dude, that is one monster setup! :encouragement: I really like how you've set up the plumbing & the sump on each tank is a great idea. I can't wait to see what sort of shrimp you will be keeping in this monster. :victorious: I am also interested in what you water parameters are? Also, are you using an auto water change system, is that what your automatic reposition is? Well done mate, I can't wait for more updates. :congratulatory:

[BlueBolts]

Thanks for sharing this journal. Incredibly exciting, and definitely be following your progress. The layout, setup and attention to details looks amazing..... Best of luck with the venture.

[Fernando Freire]

Hello to all!

Hello again Fernando excellent journal. It looks to be a very good system. Cant wait for some more instalments and also the pictures of your shrimp as you add them. It is a system I think we all dream of but in the mean time I will be enthralled to see how you go. Good luck and thanks for sharing. I cant ask any informed questions because I am still at the few small tanks type of setup.

Hi Ineke! Thank you :-) I've always dreamed with an big system, complex and that could take me away some nights of sleep. I'm proud of what I've done and believe me on one thing: if you have as opportunity like this (cheap equipment), JUST GRAB IT! ;-) I'll keep updating this topic to all of you!

Hi Fernado,Wow your pluming is amazing and I love the way you did your sump. Please keep us updated on your journey especially the part when you start adding shrimps :) what water condition do shrimp breeders like in Portugal ? ( ph,tds,EC ) thank you.

Thank you Mr.Shrimp! If every thing goes OK, I think next month I'll introduce the shrimps ;-) I'm very pleased with the Sump, It turned spaced, cever (with the hole to suck up all the detritus, the basket whit the BioFilter (great to don't get messy!) and the pump fits PERFECT on that space, just 1 centimeter bigger (the pump) ad it wouldn't fit!hummm, about the Water parameters it varies a little bit but it goes like this:Neocaridinas: pH 6.4 - 7.2KH 3-7GH 4-10TDS 100-200Caridina (CRS / CBS / Golden)pH 6.2-6.8KH 0-4 (ideal is 2 for us)GH 4-6TDS 80-100Taiwan's pH 5.5 - 6.2 and the babies must hatch in the lower pH and gradually go until the max. The higher the pH the better they grow and survive (thats our experience talking)KH 0-1GH 4-6TDS 80-100TigerspH 7 - 7.5KH 4-8GH 5-10TDS 100-200palmata blue/whitepH 6 - 7KH 2 - 5GH 4-8TDS 100 - 200Sulawesi (not going to have them, but I'll put here the parameters:pH 7.8 - 8.2KH 7 - 10GH 5 - 10TDS 100 - 150Do you use similar values?I'm curretly looking for information about the Condutivity for all these shrimps, but no success until now.. can't find 2-3 sources with similar values to dissipate all doubts :-\best regards

Looking good what shrimp will you be keeping ??

Hello 2OFUS, In the begining i'm thinking about these cuties:[TABLE=width: 293]CRS A + S + SSCBS A + S + SScheery red A+Tiger Bee ShrimpRed Rili ShrimpPumpkin ShrimpFire Red ShrimpGolden Back Yellow ShrimpGolden Bee ShrimpBlue Panaque Shrimp (Light Blue)Blue Pearl ShrimpBlue Rili ShrimpChocolate ShrimpYellow Rili ShrimpBlack Rili ShrimpOrange Eye Blue Tiger[/TABLE]It's not definitive, but it may be these. Not going to get Taiwans, TiBee or Pintos because of the price, lack of maturity of the system and also I prefer to gain more knowledge and experience first!

Wow dude, that is one monster setup! :encouragement: I really like how you've set up the plumbing & the sump on each tank is a great idea. I can't wait to see what sort of shrimp you will be keeping in this monster. :victorious: I am also interested in what you water parameters are? Also, are you using an auto water change system, is that what your automatic reposition is? Well done mate, I can't wait for more updates. :congratulatory:

Hey there Squig! Thank you mate :-) Hope you're not doing any confusion, although the aquariums are all equal, the only one with bio filter is the sump system. All aquariums already had the sump on them, but I gave them another purpose that is to collect babies! all of them have the 5cm sponge, and then, in the place of the Bio filter I will put a sinthetic wool like this one:I hope that this time I could explain me right! Notice in the back system, in the plumbing, that you don't see the Substrat Pro (bio filter). Only in the Sump, 6-8L!Yes, the auto-reposition is the automatic water chages... I call it reposition because I loose 2-4 litters of water/day because of evaporation (I've got a HUGE surfce area of water) and the "spilling" produced by the water spray... hehehe BTW, I'll show you my "security system" against power fail (how do you call these systems??)If the power goes of, the excess water comes to the sump that starts to rise its level, so I used the previous 20mm hole to make the safety system! I already had the pieces, made 4 of those you see in the picture, and conect all of them with vertical tube. in the end, a hose connects to the tube and takes the water directly to a deposit outside, my landlord (??) uses my water in he's garden :-)Please check photo number 2 of my 1st topi, if you look carefully you can see the so called "security system" but with no hose connected.By the 3rd day of cycling I just measured Amonnia with an Milwaukee electronic test in all 4 systems... the test measures until 3mg/L (or ppm, it's the same) but it got over that :-P but hey... were talking about 35L of Aquasoil per system, it's normal that the Ammonia value is over the roof! I just keep changing water, 150L a day (x 4!) and after the ammonia and nitrite go away I'll star to manipulate all other values, specially pH, KH and GH. I SERIOUSLY doutb that I'll have Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate due to bio-filter quantities and 1,2 x 0,3m filled with plants :-) not going to even talk about trace elements :-Pbig Hug!

Thanks for sharing this journal. Incredibly exciting, and definitely be following your progress. The layout, setup and attention to details looks amazing..... Best of luck with the venture.

thank you Bluebolts! Nie to ear such kind words :-) But except the details, I'm not pleased as I whanted... maybe it's just the messy look of my space, hope that in the end, after everything is done, cleaned and tidy I'll believe that my oppinio will change :-PBest regards and thank you very much for you interest and questions! Keep them coming!Fernando

[HexaD]

Wow, great to see you putting your knowledge into a hobby and business! Don't know how many of us can actually do that :) Can't wait for future updates!

[OzShrimp]

Very good to read thanks for sharing, really looking forward to updates.

When you say the tanks already had their own sump do you mean small area behind each individual tank?

Was also wondering what sort of prices shrimp set you back for the different varieties in portugal or is it pretty much just going off german and other european prices?

[Squiggle]

Totally understand now, still an awesome system. We call the power system a "back up" system :victorious:

[shrimpstan]

Man what a set up!!! really impressive. u are going to be keeping some of my fav shrimp including the OEBT and black rili!!

goodluck with it all look and i forward to seeing the shrimp in their new home :)

[Fernando Freire]

Wow' date=' great to see you putting your knowledge into a hobby and business! Don't know how many of us can actually do that :) Can't wait for future updates![/quote']Hello HexaD! Thank you, but it i on this time of crisis that new business oportunities come to life and make sense :-) keep in tuned, the Aquaculture is on development and news are always fresh heheheThank you :-) yes, the tanks are 1,2x0,4x0,35 and the sump is 1,2x0,1x0,35 (so it takes 10cm of depth). I use this sump to put a sponge and wool to capture future babies (so that they don't go to the main sump of the system.I'm so sorry but I can't understand your question about the price, can you (or other member) explain it to me?Hug,Hey Squig, how are you mate?Isn't the backup system about electricity? This backup is for floods :-PBig Hug,Hello shrimpstan!Thank you mate, maybe some day I'll send some t you and your friends hehehe

[Squiggle]

I get it now, you have an overflow system for when the power goes out, to prevent the sumps from overflowing & flooding the room, very cool idea dude :victorious:

[Kimbo]

Wow this looks amazing!