Once a suitable pond is selected it should be prepared for inoculation. Concerning design this might require:
Deepening of the pond. Water depth in the pond should be 40 cm or more to prevent too high temperatures. If the selected pond is too shallow it can be deepened either by excavation, by heightening the dikes, or by a combination of both i.e., partly excavation to heighten the dikes resulting in an inner perimeter trench.
Preparation of water intake structures. These can be ordinary fishpond gates or culvert pipes through the dikes. Whatever water control system is used, it should allow water intake at regular intervals, and for Artemia this is more often than for fishponds.
Preventing of leakage and seepage through dikes and pond bottom. Soil should be clayish and not sandy. Leakage in newly constructed ponds can be prevented by using hollow blocks in dike construction, concretizing or coring dikes.
Inoculation must be done when salinity of the water is 100–110 ppt to prevent fish and other predators. The salinity in the pond can be increased by gradual evaporation, but this will take a long time (3 ppt/ day in summer) and therefore the higher the salinity of the intake water the better. Source can be a saltfarm (from the evaporation ponds) or fishpond water with high salinity. To save time, initial water salinity should not be less than 70–80 ppt. Screen water intake, not only to prevent fish from coming in, but also to prevent entrance of fish larvae which might grow to bigger fish in the pond. The screen used should not be larger than 1 mm mesh.
If no water control structures such as gates or culvert pipes are available, water can be taken in by pump.
Water orginating from mangrove areas is better than straight sea water sources. Mangrove water has a much higher food content for Artemia through its suspended organic detritus particles.
Upon inoculation, enough food should be present in the water to guarantee good survival of the introduced Artemia. If the water has a natural turbidity of 40 cm or deeper the pond will have to be fertilized to produce a phytoplankton bloom (green water). The following inorganic fertilization is prescribed:
use a combination of 16–20–0 (monoammonium phosphate) and 33–0–0 (ammonium nitrate) in equal amounts, to provide a high nitrogen base fertilization.
total application at a rate of 100 kg/ha and 50 kg/ha of each product.
inorganic fertilization is done according to pond surface and independent of actual water depth.
the deeper the water, the better for phytoplankton production. If water is too shallow the fertilizer will stimulate lab-lab growth. Two or 3 days after fertilization a phytobloom of algae species resistant to high salinities (more than 100 ppt) will develop. Then inoculate. If a faster reaction is required (within 24 hrs), dissolve first the 16–20–0 in a plastic bucket of water and let stand overnight. Then broadcast. 33–0–0 can always be broadcasted dry since it easily dissolves.
If no inorganic fertizer is available, use organic fertilizer such as chicken manure at a 0.5–1 ton/ha rate. Contrary to lab-lab production, first take in water and then broadcast the manure.
Contrary to fishponds, lab-lab is not desirable in Artemia ponds. It is not a good food for Artemia and when it starts floating it can seriously mess up cyst harvest. To prevent lab-lab from growing do the following:
Dry and rake the pond bottom prior to water intake and remove all traces of decaded lab-lab.
Do not fertilize with inorganic or organic fertilizer before water intake.
Take in water with high salinity to reach suitable inoculation salinity in a minimum of time. The longer it takes to reach this salinity, for instance through gradual evaporation, the more lab-lab will have a chance to grow.
Have a high water depth in the pond at all times, if possible more then 40–50 cm, to prevent light penetration to the bottom.
Maintain a high turbidity either by intake of turbid water or by fertilization.
