Live crab overstorage system in Moscow

13.12.2024

Have you ever wondered what happens to tens of tons of live crabs after they are caught? Many of us are familiar with pet overstaying - dogs, cats, parrots.... But what do you do if you need to temporarily house not just one or two furry friends, but entire armies of sea creatures?

Crab logistics: why shore-based live crab holding systems are needed

Large crab companies face a problem: for various reasons it is not profitable for them to sell the entire catch of live crustaceans from trawlers' holds at once. Therefore, there is a need to create special onshore storage systems where crabs can stay for some time without loss of quality.

Such systems ensure optimal conditions for crab life: proper planting density, temperature, oxygenation and even minimization of stress. All this is done to ensure that the crabs remain healthy and attractive to customers, whether they are restaurants in Moscow, St. Petersburg or foreign clients.

Design of temporary live crab holding systems: experience of Moscow engineers

In recent years, several such systems have been built in different regions of Russia. For example, in 2023, our engineers designed and built two live crab storage systems in Murmansk and Veliky Novgorod. And in 2024, such a system was built in Moscow by order of Far East Crab Company-2 LLC.

What is a live crab storage system?

Key elements:

1. Water treatment. Prepared seawater suitable for crab habitat is used, which is filtered and purified.

2. Water recirculation. Pumps ensure constant circulation of water between system elements, which helps to maintain stable temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration and other water quality indicators.

3. Crab tanks. There are two insulated tanks of 50 m³ each, made of food-grade polypropylene, which is corrosion-resistant and retains its properties at low temperatures.

4. Technological equipment of each tank:

- Refrigeration facilities. Maintaining the temperature (+1 - +3°C) slows down the metabolism of the crabs, preventing weight loss.

- Aeration and ozonation. Oxygenation and ozonation help to maintain high water quality.

- Filters and skimmers. Remove contaminants, keeping water quality at optimum levels.

- Controllers and sensors. Monitor water parameters, automatically adjusting system operation.

Why it's profitable?

Investing in such crab overstorage systems offers a number of unique advantages to a business:

1. Risk reduction: the probability of product spoilage is minimized, which reduces financial losses and increases business profitability.

2. Increased competitiveness: the ability to offer customers fresh and quality products at any time of the year strengthens the company's position in the market.

3. Flexible inventory management: the company is able to adjust sales volumes depending on market conditions, avoiding forced discounts and sales.

Development prospects

Aqua Logo Engineering continues to actively cooperate with companies working in the sphere of marine fishery and realization of live fish and crabs. The experience accumulated over 30 years allows our specialists to develop and implement solutions of any complexity, making the company one of the leaders in the field of overstorage of marine delicacies.

So the next time you visit a restaurant and order crabs, you can be sure that they have come a long way, but have retained their flavor and freshness thanks to modern technology and the efforts of our engineers.

Photo by Ivan Larionov

Shop with two complex crab holding systems of 50 m³ each in Moscow

Cooling system and circulation pumps

Cooling system and flotation plant

Construction of crab and biofilter tanks

Balance tank of the system

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