"Which is better to farm — crayfish or prawns?" is the question almost every one of our consultations starts with. The short answer: both work on the same technology and in the same building. Prawns reach market size faster; crayfish fetch a higher retail price. And you can also farm both.
Who is who
The Australian redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) is the very "blue crayfish". Its blue-green shell is natural, and males have a red patch on the claw. It is not paint and not a disease — that is simply the breed.
The giant river prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is a freshwater prawn raised in the tanks of an RAS farm. Large individuals have long blue claws.
Quick comparison
Time to market weight: crayfish — about 6 months, prawns — about 4 months.
Price customers pay us: crayfish — from 3 500 ₴/kg, prawns — from 3 000 ₴/kg.
What we pay when we buy back your harvest: crayfish — 2 200 ₴/kg (50–100 g) and 2 700 ₴/kg (from 100 g); prawns — 2 100 ₴/kg (25–50 g), 2 600 ₴/kg (50–100 g) and 5 000 ₴/kg (from 100 g).
How the harvest is calculated: prawns — per cubic metre of water, crayfish — per square metre of floor.
How much a farm yields
This is how our Planner calculates it — the software we use to prepare estimates for clients.
Prawns. We stock 100 juveniles per cubic metre of water. About 80 % survive to sale, with an average weight of 40 g. That gives 3.2 kg of prawns from every cubic metre per cycle. A 15 m³ kit yields about 48 kg per cycle.
Crayfish. 50 juveniles per square metre of floor, about 80 % survive, average weight 50 g. That gives 2 kg of crayfish from every square metre per cycle.
Losses from cannibalism are already built into these numbers: survival is 70–80 %. We calculate the exact figure for your building in the estimate.
How much it costs to start
Prawn kits — from 5.1 m³ for 1 450 € to 15 m³ for 2 500 €.
Australian crayfish system — 3 tiers for 2 450 €, 4 tiers for 2 850 €.
Minimum turnkey farm — from 4 400 €. Starter kits to try it out first — from 1 500 €.
Payback guideline — within 14 months. The exact period depends on the farm area and the selling price.
So which one to choose?
Prawns — if you want faster turnover: the cycle is shorter, and the harvest is counted from every cubic metre of water.
Crayfish — if the retail price per kilogram matters to you and you are ready to wait for a longer cycle. The racks grow upwards in tiers, so even a small room fits several levels.
Both — we also design projects for combined farming of crayfish and prawns together.
Demand is high. If you want to sell yourself, we will help you find buyers; if not, we will buy back your harvest at a fixed price.
How much time it takes
Feeding and inspection — daily, sorting — once a month. Up to 2 hours a day in total, so the farm can be combined with a job. The main risk is a power outage: without electricity, aeration stops and the water cools down.