Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Any thoughts on keeping yabbies in the growbeds of a floating raft system?
They may/should get enough food from any rotting vegetation and the lack of light shouldn't be a problem as they are nocturnal and they would be protected from any predators (other than their fellow inmates).
The only problems i can think of are getting enough food and therefore what sort of densities could be maintained.

My plan also includes this,,,,wouldn't be hard to drop a few yabbie pellets in their cages each second day.A piece of smalldiamtertube,,,hold overcage, droppellets inthe top,moove to next cage.

Never kept them, but it might be worth trying one bed at a time in case they disturb/damage the roots.

I was think containers with lids ,, add bits of pipe inside for one bedroom apartment and the houses actually inhibit agression ,, of cause ,, without question 5 females for each guy:)

huh?
in the growbeds of a floating raft? as in ontop of the raft?

i think you'll find that they will bail out into the tank, they need to be in water. they can survive out of water as long as their 'gills' are moist, but out is not where they want to be.

I assume you mean they will be in the tank itself.

The only thing i would be concerned about is them latching onto the roots and climbing out. There is no stopping them from taking a walk unless you have a strong barrier. My wife is tired of finding them in her shoes, laundry, pantry and wherever, i need to finish the greenhouse.

The worst thing is when you don't find them and notice an off smell a few days later... Fortunately they do tend to dessicate in the house and often don't stink , it's a bit funny finding mummified crays in odd places.

Poppa

OH dear ,, CRIKIES.
perhaps a little too much welding.

Poppa ,, yes , I recon aquatic animals belong in water.
The yabbies at the bottom ,, plants floating above ,, I was silly enough to think that was taken for granted.

You could make the tanks deep enough that the crayfish can't reach the plant roots but you still might need additional aeration to maximize plant growth- the air lines might be an access out for them.

Sorry, miscommunication.
I meant a floating raft system where the rafts are on top of growbeds which have water pumped into them from a separate fish tank, not rafts that float on top of the fish tanks.