One prawn (Macrobrachium Rosenbergii) breeding colony consists of five prawn (three females and two males) - each carefully selected, healthy, sexually mature prawns that are ready to reproduce. Reproducing prawns should be healthy, active, and well pigmented. Whether you are interested in raising prawns for personal consumption or for profit, starting with a mature breeding colony will allow you to achieve your goals with a faster return on your investment, saving you six to 12 months of growing time.
Freshwater prawn eggs are carried under the tail of the adult female prawn and are easily visible; a female with eggs is known as a "berried" female. As the eggs ripen, their color changes from bright orange to brown and finally to a grey-brown a few days before hatching. It is important to maintain temperatures above 77° F to prevent loss of eggs. Prawn eggs hatch as free-swimming larvae in brackish water. The preferred salinity range for culturing prawns is 18 to 24 ppt.