Lobsters can be successfully held and fattened in land-based holding systems provided suitable environment is provided.
Critical environmental parameters include the concentration of dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrite and carbondioxide. Nitrate concentration, pH, salinity and alkalinity levels within the system are also important. In flow through systems, the main limiting factor is dissolved oxygen.
The requirement of oxygen will be high during molting and soon after feeding. Both the process normally takes place during night and optimum levels of oxygen shall be maintained during night to avoid oxygen depletion and mortality. Oxygen related stress would adversely affect growth significantly.
Unlike shrimps, lobsters are oxygen conformers and may not show any sign of low oxygen conditions, as they are capable of adjusting the metabolism even at very low levels of oxygen. Sufficient water needs to be pumped through or the water needs to be aerated to ensure lobsters are supplied with sufficient oxygen.
Sudden salinity fluctuation during rains is a serious situation and in such circumstances salinity, alkalinity and pH should be adjusted in a reservoir, before the water is pumped in. though lobsters can tolerate gradual changes in salinity to a limited range, sudden dilution can lead to stress, susceptibility to disease and mortality.
