Many people enjoy catching small shrimp in rivers. If they can't finish them all at once, they can keep them at home. Keeping river-caught shrimp alive mainly involves the following six points:
1. Feeding container
Small shrimp caught in the river can be raised in plastic or stainless steel basins. If conditions permit, they can also be raised in fish tanks or bathtubs.
2. Water quality
To keep river shrimp alive, it's essential to maintain stable water quality. Using the original river water will help them adapt more quickly. Regular water changes are crucial. If your tank has a filtration system , water changes only every two weeks.
3. Water temperature
Shrimp are sensitive to water temperature; large temperature differences can negatively impact their health and even cause death. The ideal temperature is generally around 22-24°C, but can be raised to around 25°C during the breeding season. To control the temperature, a heater can be installed in the tank.
4. Oxygen
To keep the shrimp caught in the river alive, it's essential to aerate the water. There are many ways to aerate the water, but the most common method is using an air pump. It can be run for a few hours each day, which is generally enough to meet the shrimp's oxygen needs; it doesn't need to be on all day.
5. Feeding
Shrimp are omnivorous. When they are first caught, they may not eat and usually need to wait a few days before they regain their appetite. Small shrimp caught in rivers can accept a wide variety of foods. They can usually be fed snail meat or some spinach, but these need to be processed first. They can be soaked in salt water, washed, and then cooked.
6. Precautions
Shrimp exhibit negative phototaxis, generally hiding in dark places during the day and only emerging at night to feed and move around. Therefore, most feeding should be done at dusk. When raising small shrimp caught in rivers, the temperature should not be too high or too low; a temperature of around 25°C is generally ideal.
