ABSTRACT
Prawn culture ponds mostly have sandy bottoms because they are constructed in areas of sandy soil. As the culture of prawn proceeds organic substances progressively accumulate on the bottom of the pond and the decomposition intensifies the reduction condition. In constructing a culture pond 1.5 m in depth in an abandonded saltern a bulldozer was used to till the bottom and no fresh sand was laid down for the pond bed. The pond bottom gradually turns dark in color and emits a foul smell. The first step is to drain out water from the ponds and dry the sand at the bottom to destroy all organic pollutants by oxidation. If the pond is prepared satisfactorily by first eradicating the fish and then cleaning it there will not be many problems for stocking the seedlings. After releasing the seedlings for culture, the main problems concern the structure of the pond and the quality of the feed.
