Growing Marine Shrimp in a Bio Floc System

"This video was shot during a harvest of the indoor marine shrimp production system at Kentucky State University's Aquaculture Research Center. Dr. Andrew Ray describes some of the benefits and concepts behind biofloc-based aquaculture. The video serves as an introduction to this relatively new and exciting topic which can be used to grow marine shrimp in practically any building, allowing fresh, whole, jumbo shrimp to be grown near and sold to a variety of inland markets."

[@durwoodm.dugger8167]

I have one question: "How many indoor biofloc shrimp farms (RAS) have, or are making money with net incomes that completely support all their owners income needs, have expanded to multiple locations and have audited profits and are located in the continental US." Having done post-mortem economic analysis on countless failed shrimp RAS production systems over the past four decades, my answer would have to be... none. Biofloc is hardly a new topic (about 4 decades old). Numerous other statements are made in the video that have a lack of economic basis and are dangerously misleading. For example biofloc feed conversion reduction: While reducing your feed conversion from the 1.5: industry standard to 1.3:1 is certainly a move in the right direction with biofloc, (something numerous other researchers demonstrated years ago) you still need to keep in mind that you are comparing wet weight shrimp to dry weight feed. In reality, even with biofloc only about 15% of the feed used actually ends up as shrimp in a dry to dry weight comparison. Managing the other 85% of the feed that doesn't end up as salable shrimp product is the real economic challenge in RAS shrimp production. Additionally, the cost of managing biofloc systems is additive, not reductive - when compared to the primary competitors in shrimp production - large scale out door tropical shrimp production systems. Consequently, you need some very significant ways of reducing shrimp RAS production costs if you are to compete in this commodity market. Shrimp is a commodity product and if you produce at any serious scale you will be compete at commodity prices if you are going to make a business. Telling people otherwise is either uninformed, disingenuous, if not dishonest. Of the many, many - efforts to grow shrimp profitably indoors over the past 40 years, none have been profitable at scales that allowed their survival as a business - with growth, expansion and reliable audited profits. Their primary failure was assuming that a premium market existed for their shrimp. One that would pay far more than commodity market prices for their shrimp with sufficient volumes to make a real business. A premium market that had sufficient scale for a shrimp production business to grow and expand and be profitable over time. This has proven not to be the case in both the aforementioned applied US shrimp RAS business startup failures and or in a number of shrimp marketing studies. Cumulative to shrimp RAS market projection failures to accurately project premium shrimp market prices and volumes (price/volume saturation points) is also not accurately determining the "cost-of -sales" necessary to sell to small volume premium purchasers. While very small volumes of shrimp can be sold into novelty/markets locally for short periods, trying to expand those sales volumes has proven impossible and the actual costs of making those sales is generally unrecognized until the business tries to scale where upon it is realized that the net price received - after deducting real cost-of-sales is about the same as the commodity price for shrimp. The now global industrial production of shrimp is extremely competitive and global transportation costs are a minor part of commodity shrimp costs and prices. All of which makes if very difficult for US producers to compete without optimizing all of their costs so that they are competitive to imports. Cost optimization necessarily comes down to comparative economies-of-scales as the most assured way of reducing production costs and competing. Consequently, researchers would do everyone a service if your research was less repetitive (biofloc technology is a mature and well developed technology) to what has already been done at other institutions such TAMU and several others, and focus on how to improve shrimp production economics and optimizing economies-of-scale. What US shrimp RAS producers need is not more shrimp RAS failures based on inflated expectations for profitable shrimp production in insufficient scale "premium" shrimp niche markets, but more specific ways of significantly reducing its production costs so that shrimp RAS has competitive commercial scale economics. Then you will at least have a chance to grow a US shrimp RAS industry. Durwood M. Dugger, Pres. BCI, Inc. www.biocepts.com

[@yvvkranthikiran]

Good Job Dr. Andrew Ray.i really like the way you are producing shrimps. and the quantity for 1 sq meter is good ...i am from india and we have a lot of vanamei cultivation at my place . but this is interesting .i am planning to do the same here at my place...

[@vgopakumarnair]

THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD INFORMATION

[@samindalakmal2831]

Thanks for the video with valuable information.

[@hollylee9593]

you go uncle Drew! Dad said we want some shrimp.

[@gunrun8621]

what is the long term effects this will have on growth and nutrient values of the shrimp?

[@joeyboyfarm2892]

What about accumulated nitrogen? Nitrates? Nitrites?

[@tigeleonsaintdeaubyn8187]

Very Explanatory And Informative

[@labon595]

Dr. Andrew Ray, I'm from Bangladesh. I'd like to be trained on biofloc aquaculture technology. Could you please inform me helpful to this regards? Please suggest me some reading available on Internet .

[@DJVISHAL1988]

Hey Dr ray can I run a biofloc system with freshwater so I can set up a aquaponic system with tilapia and vegetables

[@samlee443]

Hey Doctor , how can we get the full details to implement this in a farm ??

[@gostory694]

Thank You sir Really a great info and what s the minimum and maximum amount of Blofloc maintain in pond culture sir ?

[@rogerkelso130]

great video

[@larryrobertson3310]

is the consideration of all the power cost, feed and personel it takes factored into the final costs per pound of product ? And what was the cost approximation ?

[@engineer850]

how much its cost thank you

[@myudi4110]

thax ..for good info

[@faisalzahidkhan]

How much does it cost to setup please?

[@permadieonsteel707]

Can I ask did u use any entericmicrobio to reduce death? What type of Em?

[@hyderebrahim6038]

Hello, Do you have a short course on how to start an indoor biofloc system for Tilapia. We are in the Caribbean and have the perfect weather for it. We need to learn all the steps from fingerlings to full grown fish production. Could you kindly tell us when a course is available and the cost for it in 2018. Thanks

[@GRANDTOURBUSTA]

Where is the Hatchery in Florida specifically located? We are working with Pacific White Shrimp and it would be great to get a hold of younger animals than the ones we get from fish stores. It's also interesting that you are holding the animals in 20ppt salinity rather than 30-35ppt. is 35ppt too much for indoor aquaculture? does the total animals per cubic feet change if salinity concentrations are higher?

[@chefroger84]

What facility in Florida does your shrimp come from?

[@kmrao06]

What is the feed given to shrimp during grow out stage?

[@lasserbream]

How much for the set up?

[@andrewray7659]

Somewhere around $7,000 for all of the equipment.

[@andrewray7659]

The setup was about $7,000. The fiberglass tank was the biggest part of that. The tank is very durable... may last 30 years. However, there are less expensive options out there.

[@lasserbream]

Thanks for the info ;)

[@fredklatte6272]

Soft shell crayfish

[@bhaskartabala7458]

How to proceed natural probiotics

[@bathtubfairycotton5736]

Can snails work out in that system?

[@dkroen17]

Hi, Where do you get your PL stock? Thanks, David

[@patriciacarolinacamposmeza9671]

does your output come to a ton or if I wanted to how much space would I need ? I'm considering ideas to try out in mexico

[@andrewray7659]

We routinely produce about 100 kg in this particular system. It can be scaled up accordingly.

[@phillipeaston6738]

Hi Patricia write if you are keen to: [e-mail]