Causes and Ways to Increase Vaname Shrimp Appetite

How to increase the appetite of vannamei shrimp is quite easy, namely controlling the quality of the water and feed so that the shrimp are free from stress and avoid disease. In shrimp farming, special treatment of water and feed quality is needed to prevent loss of appetite and shrimp to become thin.

Vannamei shrimp cultivation is known as one of the most profitable cultivations if the farmer gets maximum yields, such as large amounts of large shrimp body weight. However, if when entering the harvest period the weight of the shrimp is still small and thin, it means that something went wrong in the enlargement process.

Therefore, get to know the symptoms of shrimp loss of appetite, the causes and ways to increase the appetite for vannamei shrimp below.

Characteristics of Vaname Shrimp Not Wanting to Eat

When finding shrimp body weight less than ideal at a certain age or figure Average Daily Growth (ADG) is small, then you need to worry and check all the shrimp to find out whether all the shrimp have lost their appetite or not. That way, you can find out if there are any symptoms of loss of appetite in shrimp and deal with them right away.

The way to find out is quite easy, namely by spreading the feed on a special tool, namely anco. Then put the anco into the pond and let it sit for some time. After that, lift the anco back and pay attention to whether the feed is still there or not. If the feed has run out, the shrimp are in a normal state, but if it turns out that there is still a lot of food left, then this condition is a characteristic of vaname shrimp not wanting to eat and needs to take further action.

Causes of Vaname Shrimp Appetite Decreasing

There are many factors that can affect shrimp appetite, including decreased water quality, shrimp experiencing stress, weather changes, disease exposure, and poor feed quality.

1. Water Quality is Decreasing

Decreasing pond water quality will make vannamei shrimp feel uncomfortable. When this happens, the shrimp will refuse to eat. Under these conditions, shrimp are more susceptible to exposure to disease and bacteria or experience stress.

The water quality that farmers need to pay attention to is the acid-base level (water pH), dissolved oxygen levels, and water temperature. The right water temperature for vannamei shrimp ponds is around 28-32 degrees Celsius. The water temperature changes easily, especially when the weather changes, so it is necessary to check the water temperature regularly. When the pond temperature changes, it will disrupt the shrimp metabolism.

The pH of the water is between 7-8.5 and normally the dissolved oxygen level is at least or above 4mg/l. You can use an aerator, pinwheel, or blower to increase oxygen levels, so that the shrimp can breathe more easily. In addition, it is important to keep the pond clean by routinely cleaning it from leftover feed and dirt and using a water filter.

2. Vaname Shrimp Stress Level is High

Loss of appetite is a symptom of stress vannamei shrimp. This is due to disturbances in the surrounding conditions in the pond environment or changes in water temperature. 

You can recognize the symptoms of stressed shrimp by looking at their behavior. Usually stressed shrimp will swim fast but not necessarily direction. In addition, it can also check the glucose levels of stressed shrimp. Stressed shrimp will have high glucose levels.

3. Extreme Weather Changes

Extreme weather changes can affect the condition of the shrimp so that their appetite decreases. For example, changing the weather from hot to too cold. When these conditions occur, there will be temperature fluctuations in the pond. This change in temperature disrupts the metabolism of the shrimp, making it easy for them to be exposed to disease and bacteria and disrupting their diet.

4. Disease Infected Shrimp

The cause of vaname shrimp not wanting to eat is a symptom of shrimp being infected with a disease from certain bacteria or viruses. Diseases that can attack vannamei shrimp caused by bacteria include EMS and WFD, while those caused by viruses include WSSV, TSV, IMNV, and IHHNV.

5. Poor Feed Quality

Poor feed quality is feed that does not meet the nutritional needs of vannamei shrimp. Vaname shrimp need nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, and ash. These five nutrients help the vannamei shrimp growth process to obtain maximum body weight. If all of these nutrients are not met, it will interfere with the body's metabolism so that you lose your appetite.

To note, there are three types of shrimp feed namely flour feed, granule feed, and pellet feed. Apart from that, there are also natural food for shrimp, including small snails, small insects, worms, and plankton. Meanwhile, if you provide factory-processed feed, then pay attention to the expiration date of the feed. If it has exceeded the expiration date, you should not give feed to shrimp.

How to Increase the Appetite for Vaname Shrimp

If you already know the characteristics of vaname shrimp not wanting to eat and the causes, then here's how to increase vannamei shrimp appetite, namely paying attention to the quality of shrimp feed, water quality, shrimp health and giving special probiotics.

1. Maintaining Water Quality

There are 4 main factors to maintain water quality, namely maintaining water temperature, oxygen levels, acid-base levels, and the cleanliness of the pond itself. 

• Water Temperature Monitoring

Water temperature can change quickly, especially when there are extreme weather changes, for that you can check the pool temperature using a special temperature gauge for pools.

• Maintain Oxygen Levels

You can measure oxygen levels using a DO meter. If you find decreased oxygen levels, use an aerator, wheel, or blower to supply oxygen to the pond.

• Maintaining Pond Acid Base Levels

If the water level is too acidic, then add lime so that the pond conditions return to neutral. You can provide several types of lime, such as dolomite, captan, and quicklime. Meanwhile, if the water is too alkaline, probiotics can be replaced or added. 

• Keeping the Pool Clean 

You can use a water filter to clean dirt or leftover feed so it doesn't cause toxins because it settles in the pond for too long. Then if the pool water looks cloudy, you can throw away 30% of pond water from the total water then refill it periodically until the water volume is like the beginning. However, if it turns out that the water is too clear, then give special probiotics to restore water quality.

2. Monitor Vaname Shrimp Health

The second way is to regularly monitor the health of the vannamei shrimp. This is important because when vannamei shrimp are sick, one of the symptoms is loss of appetite. There are many ways to monitor the health of vannamei shrimp. The first way is through feces or shrimp droppings. If the feces are white in color resembling threads, then this condition is a symptom of white feces disease in shrimp.

Then next pay attention to the physical symptoms starting from the eyes, stomach, body color to the tail. The following are the physical characteristics of sick vannamei shrimp, including:

• The shrimp's eye color is pale
• Vaname shrimp stomach is empty
• Pale shrimp body color
• Vaname's tail does not move and does not bloom
• Vaname shrimp swim to the surface of the water and often rub their bodies into the pool

3. Ensuring Vaname Shrimp Feed Needs are Adequate

Good vaname shrimp feed is food that contains as much as 30% of protein, 6% of fat, 4% of fiber, and contains as much as 15% of ash. The natural food for vannamei shrimp which is rich in protein includes earthworms which contain as much as 75% protein.

Meanwhile, when the shrimp is moulting, the feeding is according to its phase. The following is feeding according to its phase, including:

• Phase pre molt, decreased shrimp appetite is a normal condition so farmers need to reduce the amount of feed by 50-70%.
• Phase inter molt, give feed as much as 80-100%.
• Phase post molt or the shell is detached from the body of the shrimp, you should only give as much as 50% of feed.

Tips saat memilih pakan udang vaname adalah pilih pakan yang masih baru dan tanggal kadaluarsanya masih lama. 

Konsultasikan Cara Meningkatkan Nafsu Makan Udang Vaname dengan Ahlinya!