Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hiya,

So I have two IBCs and one is empty now that all the trout have been harvested.. I was thinking of chucking some yabbies in and have heard that netting or shadecloth material works well to provide habitat and protection from tank mates during moulting. I was just wondering if anyone can suggest materials that they'd consider food safe for this kind of purpose. I'm be concerned that generic shadecloth would leech dyes and other nasties..

Any ideas??

If the top is off the IBC why not try bakery crates zip tied together to form a yabbie skyscraper with short pieces of PVC zip tied randomly all over the bottoms of them.

Would that give enough shelter during moults you reckon?

Shade cloth is fine. You can also use potato sacks and alike. These methods are good for young.

Also throw in some pipe off cuts, but I always recommend (and this is from experience) is to get a heat gun and soften one end of the pipe and then clamp it shut till it hardens again. Yabbies actually like a place where they can back into and feel safe by having only their claws exposed. Many people make the mistake of throwing in a bunch of pipe thinking it will be ok but in actual fact it can often be worse as they can be attacked from behind. Ive watched this countless of times.

Fish netting or bird netting are likely safe.

Shade cloth, you want to make sure you don't use something treated with anti mold agents. Most shade cloth is likely ok but I've gotten some of the cheap colored stuff that started to disintegrate from UV exposure after only about a year and the little bits of plastic, while perhaps not toxic, I didn't really want them floating around in the system.

Thanks heaps for the info guys

Now I just have to find a heap of jeuvies

Cheers!

Get a boy and a girl and you will have more juvies than you know what to do with in a couple of months.

I use gutter guard and roll it into number 8 sharp to make 2 tubes, join them together to the length of the IBC and stack 2 high, put in between small gaps some rocks to keep it sink. I like the gutter guard as it let water easy to circulate and very cheap. I have about 30 yabbies in one IBC. Found 2 empty yabbie shells some days ago but so far no victim from cannibalization yet. May think about close one end of the tube as Charlie suggest.