Fresh water pawns

[koifishgirl]

I wonder what the difference is in fresh water pawns versus brine shrimp which is salt water? You can buy both in grocery store and both taste about the same. Has anyone ever tried to raise fresh water pawns to feed to their fry as a starter food?

How much different can it be

Judy

[luke frisbee]

I gotta ask...
KFG what do brine shrimp taste like?

[joe bauer]

brine shrimp at the grocery store?

[koifishgirl]

Ok maybe not. Im talking about salt water shrimp. My question is what is the difference. Wont brine shrimp grow large?

[joe bauer]

salt water shrimp vs. freshwater shrimp for koi? i'd like to know if one or the other is better.

i have always used the ones at the grocery store which were salt water.

how large do fresh water shrimp get?

i have never seen a brine shrimp over 1/8" long.

[luke frisbee]

Someone once said they grew a .4025 inch orange and white brine shrimp once.
but the biggest I have ever seen was about .39 inches.

Freshwater prawns are tossed in the rice paddies to provide another crop...along with carp and ducks.
Around here the freshwater Grass Shrimp get to be about 2 inches

[adreamer2]

What about triops?.... These guys are nearly the same, growing to about 2".... Would you feed them to your fish?....

[luke frisbee]

triops...if I really know that we are talking about the same thing?

Well triops have the rep of being fry eaters. I don't think they do. I think people see a dead fry and the triops are taking advantage of the free meal, and triops get the blame. triops must be tough lil devils cuz the little koi don't seem to be able to eat the population down if it is established in a fry pond....but then when they whole triops can be fitted in a koi's mouth it is a different game...ar ewe talking about the same thing?

[junglegeorge12]

One is larger and more for the growout and larger koi ponds. The other is more for fry. Star with brine for fry, then go to fresh water prawns. If you dont have any fry right now start with prawns.

There is a breeder down here who no longer breeds. He started with growing brine and prawns for his feed, then started supplying them for shops to feed and sell, then started selling shrimp to restaurants and food markets. Now he no longer breeds but does growout koi and breed shrimp, as shrimp are way more profitable. That is why I chuckle when folks say 'breeders are in it for the money'. Truth is shrimp are easier to breed, easier to sell (who cares what breedery they came from???) and way more profitable.

Anyone capable of breeding koi is capable of breeding shrimp. Just set up a seperate pond or tank for it kfg. If you are any good at it you will be quitting your day job soon, so you can join the ranks of full time koi breeders with a little shrimp to help out. Shrimp multiply fast, unlike koi you don't have to wait until they are 3 to reproduce and can use or sell all the fry, no culling.

You might want to ask some of the breeders from SA who do it, or Chris Neaves, I bet he knows a thing or two about that subject. There is also a site I will try to dig up who sells all the stuff you need to start out and has lists of the species and all the info you need to start (step by step guides for each type).

[koifishgirl]

JG12 Im all for it. Wonder what you would have to go through just to be able to sell shrimp for human consumption.