peeler crab farming?y

[macky]

surely rarther than spending all this money on tanks/lamps/heaters/filters etc and messing about caring for them for months on end

 

wont it be easier to buy some fresh peeler?

[samuel-cox]

At 50 p to 1 quid each no.

[olly30]

hi all, i used to keep peelers in trays in an old fridge with aerators coming in through the side. this was when i was 19, i've moved since, had a family, mortgage and so on etc. am now 30 yrs old and want to get back into sea fishing as my priorities have changed since i was 19. want any info on storing peelers, best ways of freezing. any help would be appreciated ?????????

[macky]

when you think about the money spent setting things up and buying water quality testing kits and so on buying them would work out cheaper and easier

[Davy Holt]

true macky... but then I've never had the need to use Peelers.. so I'm biased against them

[Guest jay_con]

Its fun though. I enjoy peelering. A good walk in the mud everyday helps keep the waistline down (just about).

 

Only water testing kit you really need is an hydrometer priced at about 15 quid. When salinity is high you just top up the tank with fresh tap (dechlorinated) water- I guess you could get away without that if you marked off the tank level and kept it constant by topping up with tap water. Crabs are pretty hardy so will survive some ammonia in the water. I managed all last summer without a water testing kit. I even kept velvets with no problem at all.

you could even build your own filter if you didnt want to spend cash on one. a plastic stack/storeage box with in and out pipes, reticulated sponge/foam to filter out dirt and shell etc and sand or gravel for a bacteria bed. Ive seen plans on the net for making such a filter. wouldnt cost no more than a couple of quid

 

Do you have a good supplier for peelers macks? I wouldnt trust most suppliers. they just sell you the crap they wouldnt use themselves.

[Guest jay_con]

If i was to buy the peelers I use each season at 50 p a crab i would be looking at at least 500 pound per season.

[Guest jay_con]

hi olly,

 

welcome to the forum.

 

sounds like you already have a good way of keeping peelers.

 

I peel off all trace of shell, wrap them in cling film and freeze. It's no more complicated than that.

Perhaps others here do it differently? I know people who freeze them in the shell.

[macky]

winter dont you take the lungs out before freezing?

[Guest jay_con]

Sorry olly. Yes I cut the lungs out.