ABSTRACTThe first experiment of this study was conducted in 1981 usingPenaeus vannameifrom Ecuador. Animals weighing an average of 3.8 g were stocked in seven earthen ponds (163 m2) at an average density of 9.2 animals/m2. The shrimp in two of the ponds were fed Ralston Purina MR20 shrimp feed daily. The remaining five ponds were not fed, but were enriched with cattle manure plus inorganic fertilizer. After 62 days the average body weight was 20.3 g. The average weekly weight gain and average survival were 1.82 g and 54.05% respectively for ponds fed commercial feed, and 1.89 g and 59.9% for ponds enriched with fertilizer.The second experiment was conducted in 1982, usingP. vannameifrom Costa Rica. Four ponds (163 m2), Group 1, were stocked with 6.5 g animals at a density of 7.1 animals/m2. An additional four ponds as Group 2 were stocked with 3.2 g animals at a density of 9.4 animals/m2. One pond from each group received one of the following four treatments: no external inputs, feeding with MR20 feed or fertilizing with cattle manure 0.5 kg/m2or 1.0 kg/m2. After 77 days the average weight was 17.88 g in Group 1 and 16.93 g in Group 2. There was a significant difference in growth rate between Group 1 and Group 2. Survival for all treatments was greater than 71.4% and averaged 80.7%. Water quality was monitored in both experiments. Water temperatures were higher in experiment 1 than in experiment 2. No correlations have been drawn between growth rates, water quality parameters, and treatments, in either experiment.In conclusion,P. vannameican be raised in cow manure‐enriched ecosystems at a stocking rate of 9.4 animals/m