Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Creating a good environment for your lobsters
• Part 2 of 3: Growing healthy lobsters
• Part 3 of 3: Selling your lobsters
• Tips
• Necessities

Lobster is a delicious seafood that many people around the world enjoy, and growing lobster is a very lucrative business. Lobster has been farmed since the 20th century to meet the high demand for the meat of these crustaceans. A healthy place to live, clean water and lobster food can help your lobsters grow. A little knowledge of the lobster business can help make your farm a success.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Creating a good environment for your lobsters

1. Find a suitable location for your lobster farm. A successful lobster farm location requires three things: enough space to place several troughs, a source of water (free from pollution and waste), and a source of lobster larvae nearby. Find a location with all of these essentials.
   • Although your farm does not have to be on the sea, it will be difficult for you to obtain lobster larvae if you are not near the sea. They do not thrive in transport.
   • Natural sunlight also helps lobsters to grow, so open-air troughs are ideal.
   • Most lobsters live in salt water, so you need a direct source of sea water. However, you can also buy a set to saline the fresh water you have.
2. Rent or buy land for your farm. Once you have found the best place for your farm, you will need to buy or rent the land. Since you will be using troughs to house your lobsters, you don't need to make any adjustments to the ground. For this reason, you can both buy and rent. However, if you have the resources to buy the land, that is a better investment in your business.
   • The soil does not have to be directly on the water. If the soil is adjacent to a salt water source, this can be useful, but it is not critical.
3. Check with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality whether you need an exemption. Contact the Ministry to inquire about lobster farming regulations. If you need a waiver, fill out the necessary forms, pay the costs, and make sure you have the waiver before you start growing.
4. Place troughs to house your lobsters. Provide a good habitat for your lobster farm by purchasing multiple massive troughs. These not only keep the lobsters contained on the farm, but also protect them from rain predators from the outside. Place the troughs side by side, in even rows, so that each trough is easily accessible. Fill the troughs with clean salt water.
   • You can also house your lobsters in sea cages, if your farm has direct access to salt water.
   • You can house 10 lobsters of 0.15-0.2 kg in a trough / cage of 1 m2.
   • Troughs can be purchased at farm shops and on the Internet.
5. Maintain a salt level of 30,000-35,000 ppm in the water. If you are going to use municipal water, treat that water to remove chlorine and other minerals. Use a commercial saline solution for marine animals. Follow the instructions to get the 30,000-35,000 ppm salt reading and use a test kit to make sure you did everything right.
   • Use natural seawater if possible.
   • Add more salt to increase the salt value. Dilute with filtered water to lower the salt level.
6. Maintain a pH level of 6.5 to 8.5. Use a pH test kit to determine the pH level of the water. If the pH is too low, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda per 1 gallon of water. Then wait a few hours and retest. If the pH is too high, place a bag of peat moss in the water filter. Let it run for two days before testing again.
   • Do not place the lobsters in the water until the pH is correct.
7. Perform weekly maintenance to keep your troughs clean. Every week, remove 10-15% of the water in the troughs and replace it with conditioned, saline water. Buy a basic water test kit and use it once a week to check the water's pH and salt levels. Also check the filters weekly and clean them if necessary.
   • Replace the filters when they appear worn or damaged and when they no longer seem to be working effectively.
   • Tap water should always be conditioned before adding it to the troughs.
8. Have a good filtration system to circulate oxygen and remove debris. A few good filters and a pump can keep the water clean and full of oxygen. This will help your lobsters to grow and prevent the spread of disease. A gravity leaching filtration system removes gas from the water and adds oxygen. A mechanical biological filter removes debris from the water supply and / or converts it to less toxic nitrate, which is safe for the lobsters. Finally, a submersible pump ensures the circulation of the water through the filter systems. Buy these filters and install them in your lobster troughs.
   • Keeping the water clean and filtered is necessary to protect the lobsters from disease.Sickness can spread very quickly through a farm.
   • Buy filters and pumps from a garden store or on the Internet.

Part 2 of 3: Growing healthy lobsters

1. Purchase larvae from a local supplier. Suppliers of lobster larvae can be found in farms on the Atlantic coast of the United Kingdom, North America, the Philippines, New Zealand and many other places bordering a coast. Once a lobster emerges from its shell, it is small and translucent with large eyes and a spiky body. This is the larva. The larva goes through four phases before becoming a recognizable lobster.
   • Choose from the lobster types available in your area.
   • Choosing a supplier close to your farm will prevent transport damage to the lobsters.
   • Avoid putting larger and smaller lobster species together. The larger larvae can eat the smaller ones.
2. Give lobster food once a day. Keep the lobsters healthy and grow by feeding them. In the wild, lobsters eat small crustaceans, mollusks and fish. You can purchase suitable lobster food from your larvae supplier or order it on the Internet. If you can't find lobster food mixes, you can use cod food. Follow the instructions on the package regarding serving sizes.
   • Before starting the farm, try to secure a reliable source of lobster food.
3. Use a 5x5 cm mesh net to keep your lobsters safe. Place nets over your troughs to keep the lobsters from escaping. You can also place bamboo slats over the troughs for extra safety. This helps to protect the larvae from predators, such as birds.
   • You can buy nets at many DIY stores and on the Internet.

Part 3 of 3: Selling your lobsters

1. Find buyers for your lobsters. Contact local supermarkets and restaurant (ideally in person) and offer to deliver them lobsters. Do this before harvesting the lobsters. Create a contract outlining the terms of the agreement with the appropriate stores / restaurants, including the estimated number of lobsters they will purchase, price, and expected delivery date.
   • It is important to deliver lobsters as soon as they are harvested, so finding buyers ahead of time is crucial.
2. Harvest the lobsters. Lobsters can be harvested after about six or seven months, when they have reached a weight of 0.8-1 kg. You can scoop the lobsters out of the troughs with a net. Place the harvested lobsters in a container of seawater before wrapping.
   • Try not to harvest the lobsters when it rains. Lobsters can die if exposed to fresh water.
3. Transport your lobsters with care. Lobsters are bought and transported alive so that they can be killed just before consumption. This means that lobsters must be packed and delivered very carefully. Wrap the lobsters in cloths soaked with seawater and put them in Styrofoam boxes.
   • Never pack lobsters with fresh water.
   • To keep the lobsters fresh, put the Styrofoam boxes in ice.
   • After harvesting, deliver the lobsters as soon as possible.
4. Work with a vet to reduce the incidence of disease. If even one of your lobsters gets sick, it can destroy your entire crop. Work with a vet to find out how to reduce the risk. Ask a vet to examine your lobsters so that any health problems can be detected early.

Tips

• Lobsters prefer to swim close to the surface of the water, especially in the larval stages. This can make them vulnerable to birds. Keep your lobster farm away from trees or place netting to keep out birds.
• Set up your lobster farm near a larva supplier. This lowers the chance of larvae dying during transport and reduces the stress on the young lobsters.
• Place rubber bands around the claws of the lobsters. This prevents them from killing each other if there are too many lobsters together. This also makes it impossible for them to hurt you when you handle them.

Necessities

• Troughs
• Clean water
• Filter systems and pumps
• Larvae
• Lobster food