Giant River Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)

Giant River Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Name	Giant River Prawn
Name Lat.	Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Family	Palaemonid Shrimps
Family lat.	Palaemonidae
Order	Decapoda
Order lat.	Decapoda
Origin	Southeast Asia, Australia
Habitat	Streams, estuaries
Diet	Detritus, insect larvae, shrimp food
pH	6.5-8.0
Behavior	Predatory
Keeping	Harem
Care Level	Moderate
Reproduction	Marine larval stages
Breeding	None reported
Life Span	2-3 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	25-32 cm
Temperature	20-29 °C
Hardness	10-20 °dH
Aquarium	300 l
US Units
Size	9.8"-13"
Temperature	68-84 °F
Hardness	178-356 ppm
Aquarium	80 gal

Distribution and habitat

The distribution area of the Rose Mountain Shrimp are coastal waters from Indonesia over New Guinea to Australia. They live in slow-flowing streams and rivers that flow into the sea, preferably in places with foliage and dead wood. They have also been introduced into Central and South America and parts of Africa for shrimp farming.

Maintenance

They need a well-structured aquarium with many roots, some robust plants and large stones as well as a moderate current. The substrate of sand or gravel should be partially covered with foliage (e.g. sea almond leaves, oak leaves).

No ammonia, ammonium and nitrite should be detectable in the aquarium water, the nitrate value should not exceed 100 mg/l. To ensure water quality and oxygen content, a filter and heater adapted to the size of the aquarium is required, as well as lighting for the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals. When choosing the filter, special care should be taken to ensure that the animals cannot be sucked in.

Diet

They feed on animal organisms, carrion, snails small crustaceans, fish and dead plant material (sea almond leaves). The food supply consists of a combination of live or frozen food, such as cyclops, daphnia, mosquito larvae, artemia, mysis and tubifex, or a commercially available frozen special food mix, supplemented with dry food (tablets, granules) for crayfish and shrimp. Regular and varied feeding promotes health and prevents deficiency symptoms. Unaccepted food must be removed after 2-3 hours

Behaviour and compatibility

They should be kept in a harem, one male with several females, and are well suited to a community tank with large fish that do not consider them prey. Males are territorial within the species. Keeping multiple harems is only recommended in larger and richly structured tanks.

Basically, only compatible animals with similar demands on water quality and water temperature may be socialized

Reproduction and breeding

The males have slightly larger claws than the females. The breeding of Rosenberg shrimp in the aquarium has not yet been successful, because the larvae go through more than ten brackish water-bound developmental (zoea) stages.

Important

Rose mountain shrimp are skilled fish catchers. Keeping them in a community tank with small fish is not recommended.

In many tropical coastal areas they are bred on a large scale for food purposes and are sold as king prawns.

The foliage (sea almond, oak, beech, etc.) not only provides cover, but as it rots it encourages the development of microorganisms that provide a valuable secondary food source

The well-being of the animals should be monitored regularly. Temperature should be checked daily, pH, hardness and nitrate levels at least every 14 days. Regular partial water changes are recommended, even when contaminant levels have not yet reached the upper limit. Sudden changes in water quality should be avoided. Newly introduced animals must be accustomed slowly to the water in the aquarium.

Further literature can be found in your pet store

References

Text: petdata; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: KARGE & KLOTZ (2007): Süßwassergarnelen aus aller Welt, Dähne Verlag; ENGELMANN & LANGE (2011): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Wirbellose, Verlag Harri Deutsch