Shrimp

Is anyone raising freshwater shrimp in the basement or backyard? I can't seem to find any information.

If a pond is necessary, what would be the minimum size? Maybe breeders could be grown in an aquarium and put in a small pond in the spring?

Where do you buy live shrimp? Can they be mailed?

I have land for a pond, but there's no electricity or water piped in on that land. I have an acre fish pond. It sounds like shrimp need a really shallow pond. I could dig one but the water level would fluctuate a lot. I guess I could pump from the pond. I'm not wanting to raise enough to sell, just for some food and for fun. I'm about as far inland as you can get, Missouri.

Crayfish might be easier but they are regulated here. I think I couldn't bring in any non native varieties, and our locals are small.

I wonder if a cage put in the pond might work?

I grew up near a fairly large indoor shrimp operation. It was all contained within some older barns on an old farm in Michigan. The man who ran it was notoriously secretive about his process and never let anyone, other than (presumably) whatever regulators might have been required for shrimp farming, see the operation. I know that's not useful information but it does speak to what might be a culture of secrecy around self contained shrimp farming. My guess would be that the only reason for that would be that it is way easier than the average person thinks and those that have it going on commercially don't want to open the flood gates to other producers.

My guess is that they would be raised in some kind of hydroponic tray or gutter type system, probably as part of a system that also involved some sort of plant matter. But that is just speculation.

Mizzou extension has done some work on raising freshwater prawns in shallow (3-4 foot deep) ponds.  Basically stock 'em in the spring and let them grow out through the summer.  I imagine you could take the same concept and adapt it to an indoor system.  

Good luck!

Mizzou Extension Freshwater Prawns

Thanks! Good link!