Lobsters are a seafood dish that many people around the world like. Most people, however, can eat fresh lobsters only by visiting areas known for their richness in this crustacean, while already many other fish, such as salmon and catfish, are abundantly raised on farms, in order to be able to be consumed on the tables of the areas of the world where it is not possible to fish them directly in the sea. Lobster farming is a method used since the beginning of the 20th century to respond to the high demand of consumers for this delicious crustacean. You can create your own personal breeding wherever there is the necessary space and material.
Steps
Step 1. Find a suitable location
To successfully raise lobsters, there must be enough space to mount several troughs, i.e. underwater enclosures. Clean water, free of pollutants and waste, and a flat ground to house the troughs are the essential elements of any farm. It is also essential to have enough space for the lobsters: if the space were too crowded, in fact, they could eat each other before developing the shell. Make sure you have enough space to create a suitable number of troughs for raising lobsters in an environment suitable for them.
Step 2. Place the troughs
Create a hospitable environment for your lobster farm and set up several sturdy troughs. They will not only serve to contain the lobsters, but will protect them from any predators, as well as from each other. Place them side by side, in parallel lines, so you can easily access each one.
Step 3. Think of a good filter system
Keeping the water clean and filtered is essential to prevent lobsters from getting sick, since any disease would spread very quickly throughout the farm. The best way to avoid such a situation from arising is to manage the waste produced by the lobsters themselves. A mechanical filtering system will regularly remove waste from the water supply. A biological filtering system will leave the waste in the water, but will convert it into a less toxic nitrate suitable for the life of lobsters.
Step 4. Buy the larvae
There are several nurseries or fishmongers that can stock you with a selection of lobster larvae. When the lobster comes out of the egg, it will be thin, transparent, with large eyes and a thorny body. It is a larva, which will have to evolve through four stages of growth before becoming a recognizable-looking lobster.
Step 5. Feed the lobsters
Keep lobsters healthy by feeding them. In the wild, in general, they feed on small crustaceans, molluscs and fish. You can buy appropriate food directly from larvae retailers, but special feeds have also been designed and marketed. Cod feed can also be used.
Advice
- Lobsters prefer to swim close to the surface of the water, especially in the larval stage; for this reason they very often fall prey to various birds. Keep them away from trees, or set up nets to keep birds away.
- Build your own lobster farm near the place where you get the larvae if possible. This will reduce the chance of the larva dying in the course of the move and reduce the stress on younger lobsters.
