Shrimp Farming: A Complete Guide to Start, Stock and Harvest

Shrimp farming is the controlled aquaculture production of edible shrimp species — most commonly Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), black tiger shrimp (P. monodon) and freshwater giant prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) — in earthen ponds, lined ponds, raceways or recirculating systems. Global production crossed 5 million tonnes in 2024, with India, Ecuador, Vietnam, Indonesia and China supplying the majority.

A typical commercial cycle runs 100–140 days from stocking of post-larvae (PLs) to harvest at 15–25 g per animal. The unit economics are driven by four levers: survival rate, average daily growth (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and market count-size pricing. Top-quartile farms in India report ₹3–5 lakh net profit per acre per cycle; bottom-quartile farms lose money on the same infrastructure.

Species choice locks in your water type, market and risk profile for the entire farm life. Get it right before you build the first pond.

• Penaeus vannamei (Pacific white shrimp) — global default for new entrants. Tolerates 5–35 ppt salinity, grows fast (0.25–0.30 g/day), accepts high density, mature export market.
• Penaeus monodon (Black tiger) — premium count sizes (10/15 per kg) for South Asian and EU buyers. Slower growth (0.20–0.25 g/day), more sensitive to disease, but higher price-per-kg.
• Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Freshwater giant prawn) — for inland farms with no salt access. Lower density (10–20 PL/m²), longer cycle (180–240 days), local-market focused.
• Litopenaeus stylirostris (Blue shrimp) — niche option in Latin America with IHHNV tolerance but smaller market.

Three system types dominate modern shrimp farming. Each trades capital cost for water efficiency, density and risk profile.

• Semi-intensive earthen pond — 0.5–2 acre ponds, 30–60 PL/m², 4–6 paddlewheel aerators per acre, 1 m water depth. Capex ₹5–8 lakh/acre, lowest entry barrier, the right starting point for 90% of new farms.
• Intensive lined pond — HDPE-lined 0.2–0.5 acre ponds, 80–150 PL/m², central drain for waste removal, 8–12 aerators per acre. Capex ₹15–25 lakh/acre, 2–3× the yield per area, requires tight management.
• Biofloc — concrete or HDPE tanks, 200–500 PL/m², constant aeration, daily carbon dosing (molasses or jaggery) to grow microbial floc that supplements feed protein. Uses 90% less water, 20–30% less feed; capex ₹25–40 lakh per 100 m² system.
• RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture System) — fully indoor tanks with biofilters, UV and oxygen injection. 1,000+ shrimp/m³, year-round production independent of climate. Capex ₹2–5 crore for a small commercial unit; viable only with premium-market access.

Three site factors decide whether a farm will be profitable before a single PL is stocked: water quality at source, soil texture and elevation/drainage.

• Water source — brackish creek, estuary or borehole within 2 km. Salinity 10–30 ppt is the comfort zone for vannamei. Test for heavy metals, pesticides and total Vibrio count before committing.
• Soil — clay-loam (40–60% clay) holds water and limits seepage. Pure sandy or saline-alkaline soil destroys economics through water loss and pH instability.
• Elevation — at least 1.5 m above the highest historical flood level; drainage by gravity to a settlement pond before discharge.
• Power — three-phase grid within 500 m, with a diesel backup sized for full aeration load. A 6-hour outage during summer at 30 PL/m² can kill an entire pond.
• Avoid — mangrove zones (illegal in India, EU, US import-banned), heavy industrial runoff zones, and any site within 1 km of another farm with a recent WSSV or AHPND outbreak.

Stocking density and feed management determine 70% of cycle outcome. Both are species- and system-specific.

• Source PLs only from SPF/SPR hatcheries with current WSSV, EHP, AHPND, IHHNV and TSV PCR-negative certificates — demand the lab report.
• Acclimate PLs for 30–60 minutes by floating bags, then dripping pond water in over 15 minutes. Mortality above 5% during acclimation predicts cycle problems.
• Semi-intensive vannamei — stock 30–60 PL/m². Below 30 wastes the pond; above 60 needs intensive aeration and active oxygen management.
• Feed table — start at 6–8% of biomass daily for PL15, drop to 3% at 5 g, 2.2% at 12 g, 1.6% at 20 g. Use check trays (4–6 per acre) 2 hours after feeding to confirm consumption.
• FCR targets — 1.3–1.5 is excellent; 1.5–1.7 acceptable; above 1.8 indicates poor water quality, overfeeding or disease pressure. Track weekly using ABW × surviving stock vs cumulative feed.
• ABW sampling — cast net 50 animals weekly, weigh, divide by 50. Trends matter more than absolute values; sudden divergence triggers a disease check.

Five parameters drive 80% of outcomes for vannamei. Log all five at dawn and dusk and act on trends, not single readings.

• Dissolved oxygen (DO) — keep above 5 mg/L at all times; below 3 mg/L is an emergency. Aerator failure at dawn is the single most common cause of mass mortality.
• pH — 7.5–8.5, with daily swing under 0.5. Bloom crashes drop pH 1+ unit overnight; lime at 50–100 kg/ha to buffer.
• Salinity — 15–25 ppt is the vannamei sweet spot. Sudden drops of 5+ ppt after rain trigger AHPND outbreaks.
• Temperature — 28–32°C optimal. Below 22°C suppresses growth; above 33°C drives stress and Vibrio blooms.
• Ammonia (unionised NH₃) — below 0.5 mg/L. Spikes signal overfeeding, bloom crash or organic accumulation.
• Secondary: nitrite (<1 mg/L), alkalinity (120–150 mg/L CaCO₃), transparency (Secchi 30–40 cm).

Read the deep dive on pond water quality monitoring →

Six pathogens drive almost all commercial shrimp farm losses. Knowing the field signs and prevention protocol for each is non-negotiable.

• WSSV — White Spot
  100% mortality in 3–10 days; viral, OIE-listed.
• AHPND / EMS
  Bacterial Vibrio toxin; strikes 10–35 DOC.
• EHP
  Microsporidian growth-stunt; no mortality, big economics.
• IHHNV
  Runt Deformity Syndrome; 10–30% growth loss.
• TSV — Taura
  Red-tail and soft shells in juveniles.
• Vibriosis
  Opportunistic bacterial complex.

See the full disease library →

Count size — pieces per kilogram — is how shrimp is priced globally. A 30/40 count (30–40 shrimp per kg, ~28–33 g each) commands 25–40% more than a 60/70 count. Harvest timing is the lever that converts a healthy pond into a profitable one.

• Standard vannamei harvest: 18–22 g ABW at 100–120 DOC, giving a 50/60 count.
• Premium counts (30/40, 40/50) require pushing to 130–150 DOC with disease-free management — high reward, high risk.
• Partial harvest — pull 30–40% of the pond at 80 DOC, let the remainder grow another 20–30 days. Reduces density-driven stress and bands harvest revenue.
• Harvest method — drain harvest (gravity to a net at the outlet) is fastest and least stressful. Cast-net harvesting damages animals and reduces premium count yield.
• Post-harvest — ice immediately to 0–4°C. Every 30 minutes at ambient temperature loses ₹15–25 per kg in quality grading.

A 1-acre semi-intensive vannamei pond in India breaks down roughly like this per cycle (figures in INR; rural Andhra Pradesh / Gujarat reference):

• PLs — 200,000 × ₹0.50 = ₹1,00,000
• Feed — 6,000 kg × ₹85 = ₹5,10,000 (50–55% of total)
• Aeration + power — ₹80,000–₹1,20,000
• Chemicals + probiotics + lime — ₹50,000
• Labour (1 worker per 2 acres) — ₹60,000
• Pond preparation + miscellaneous — ₹50,000
• Total variable cost per cycle — ₹8.5–10 lakh
• Revenue at 4.5 t × ₹380/kg = ₹17,10,000 → Net ~₹7 lakh per cycle, 2 cycles/year
• Break-even — even a 20% drop in survival or 15% drop in farmgate price can wipe out the margin.

See how CAMARON pricing scales with farm size →

• Buying PLs without a PCR certificate — saves ₹10,000, costs ₹5 lakh when WSSV hits.
• Overfeeding in the first 25 DOC — fuels Vibrio blooms that become AHPND outbreaks.
• Skipping pond dry-out between cycles — EHP spores accumulate and stunt the next cycle.
• No backup generator — a single 6-hour summer outage at peak biomass can kill the pond.
• Treating with antibiotics on suspicion — residues cause export rejections that cost more than the disease.
• Stocking density above pond carrying capacity — high density without matching aeration is the most common path to a DO crash.
• Selling at the wrong count — harvesting at 60/70 when 30 more days would have hit 30/40 leaves ₹2–3 lakh on the table.