Feeding Tips Based on Vaname Shrimp Eating Habits

Do you already know about the habit of eating vannamei shrimp? Vaname shrimp, which are brackish water shrimp, have different eating habits in their natural habitat than in aquaculture ponds. So, what are the eating habits of vannamei shrimp in these two habitats? Read more in this article, shall we?

Vaname Shrimp Eating Habits

Vannamei shrimp are nocturnal animals that actively search for food at night or when the light intensity is low. Meanwhile, during a sunny day, vannamei shrimp are more passive, by staying still at the bottom of the pond. 

Naturally, vannamei shrimp are classified as animals omnivorous scavengers which eat animals, plants, carrion, plankton, benthic algae, detritus, and other organic matter. To be able to grow and develop properly, vannamei shrimp need feed that contains protein, amino acids and fatty acids. If you find feed that contains these organic compounds, the vannamei shrimp will respond by approaching it. 

In their natural habitat, vannamei shrimp look for food at the bottom of the waters. However, vannamei shrimp have limited movement in finding food and have the property of being able to adapt to the food available in their environment. So, if you provide feed in the form of pellets in an intensive cultivation system in ponds, it will be easy for vaname shrimp to like it.

Vaname shrimp also have a simple digestive tract, so this type of shrimp requires a type of feed that is easy to digest. The organic feed that vannamei shrimp usually encounter in their natural habitat has been designed in such a way as to be easily digested. This means, if you want to cultivate vannamei shrimp intensively in ponds, the content and size of the feed must be adjusted so that the shrimp are easily digested.

How Vaname Shrimp Eat

Vaname shrimp eat anything that attracts them by identifying it using chemical signals and the help of sensory organs called setae. When it has found the food it wants to eat, the vannamei shrimp will use its pair of pincers to direct the food to its mouth. Furthermore, the small feed enters the esophagus, while the large feed will be chemically digested first by the stomach maxilliped in the mouth.

Percentage of Feed Utilization by Vaname Shrimp

For shrimp, good feed is a source of nutrition consisting of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients will later be used by vannamei shrimp as a source of energy to grow and develop. Feed is a very important factor in vannamei shrimp farming because it takes up 60-70% of the total operational costs of cultivation. Providing feed as needed will spur optimal growth and development of vannamei shrimp so that their productivity can be increased.

Based on the percentage, vannamei shrimp only absorb 85% of the feed they consume, while 15% of the feed will become waste. Of the 85%, 48% was used for metabolic processes, molting and energy sources, while 17% was used for growth, and 20% became faeces.

Efficiency in the use of feed can be done by providing feed in the right amount and size and strict monitoring of feed. This is done so that vannamei shrimp do not experience a shortage of feed (underfeeding) or excess feed (overfeeding). Giving the right amount of feed can make the shrimp grow and develop to the maximum size. Therefore, the amount of feed must be adjusted to the biomass and shrimp population cultivated in the pond.

Recommendations on how to feed shrimp

The problem that vannamei shrimp farmers often experience is the amount of feed that is wasted and settles to the bottom of the pond. This can happen when the feed is not given at the right time of feeding the vannamei shrimp, so that when the feed is spread over the pond, the shrimp don't want to eat and the feed settles at the bottom of the pond.

Another thing that can cause deposition of feed is the method of feeding that is not right. One way to provide the right vannamei shrimp feed is to turn off the waterwheel in the pond 15 minutes before distributing the feed. This is because the waterwheel that is turned on will increase the flow of water in the pond and cause the feed to be carried away by the current. 

Turning off the wheel 15 minutes before distributing the feed is considered effective in increasing the range of the shrimp to the feed given. This happens because the vannamei shrimp must first detect the feed using the sensor before eating it. However, if you use an autofeeder (automatic shrimp feeder), you don't need to turn off the wheel because the autofeeder is only at a few points. So that it requires the current from the windmill so that it spreads evenly. 

Furthermore, you need to pay attention to the form of feed given to the shrimp. If the feed given is in the form of flour, then the feed needs to be moistened first before it is spread into the ponds. Wetting the feed in the form of flour is done to avoid wasting feed which can occur due to wind gusts when it is spread over the ponds.

Apart from turning off the wheel and paying attention to the type of feed, you also have to pay attention to how to apply it, one of which is by using an eFeeder for shrimp. eFeeder for shrimp from eFishery is an automatic feeder specially made to help farmers spread feed accurately, on time, and effectively. This superior product from eFishery has often helped farmers get more profit because of its ability to make feed management more regular. Its easy use and optimal technology allow farmers to manage feeding only from the eFeeder application cellphone.