Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I've been looking at alternatives to goldfish for the system I'm trying to set up and was just wondering about yabbies? Lots of people seem to have them. But they also seem to be rather good escape artists. The tank is 40 cm deep and a 115cm in diameter with vertical sides, no sloping etc. The plants will just be floating in styrofoam on the top and I was going to put an airstone in as well, but is there a good chance a Yabbie would just climb up the airline?

Would some type of mesh lid be enough to keep them in the tank?

Also theres a fishing store near us that sells live yabbies, I've never been in, but what are the normal prices of yabbies bought from a bait store? I'd say a lot cheaper then a pet store but thought I'd check.

Could it be possible to keep Yabbies in still water, as in no electrical items, with the plants floating on top as well as some aquatic plants ie duckweed and elodea?

You can buy large live yabbies from a seafood store for generally about $19 a kg...

Yes they will climb anything you put in there, but a small pond like that, with no pumping/aeration of anysort probably won't support many for long..

Okies, have been going over my ideas to try and change em a bit. Have managed to get a 600l/ph pump as well as a set up for some rather small growbeds, and have incorporated a few waterfalls to aerate the water.

If the pump was placed fairly high up the wall, is there still a chance of the yabbies climbing out and leaving? I do have a makeshift lid for the tank, maybe I could just stick a pile of pavers on top? LOL.

From what I've read the stocking suggestion is 5-10 yabbies per square metre, so if I got say 5 yabbies would that work? Or should I try less?

Hmmm I actually have never seen live yabbies for sale at a seafood shop before, must look a bit harder LOL.

they are $35 a kilo here

Not a bad idea - I have lost a number (even afer laying old louver glass panes over the fish tank top )
Dont forget that they can swim (well, of sorts) so placing it off of the floor is not a gaurantee that they wont get to the pump!

You can pick live yabbies up as fish food in most aquarium places. My local one sells them for a $1 each. The Gossie markets has them every now and again at $15 a kilo.

I think I live in the wring part of Aus LOL. The only time I've seen anything resembling live yabbies was at the bait store.

So my set up would be okay for Yabbies? Would 5 be a good stocking or should I get less?

yeah, WA is definately the cheapest for yabs. My LFS sells them for between $5 and $10 each depending on size.

cuti, you mean the setup you posted pics for?

Hell, i've got 12 yabbies in a 80 litre tank inside with NO filtration or pumps or plants, just a killer air stone. yabbies are very tolerant of poor conditions as long as the PH is 7+

Lol yup, same set up. LOl I'm jealous I sooo need to get some plants on my inside tanks, I'm having trouble with nitrate levels in an 80l tank stocked with 2 3 inch long eels.

cuti, one thing i have realised from reading aquarium sites is the anality (is that a word?? LOL) regarding water quality!

Not sure about ornamentals, but the natives we use are REALLY tolerant

My little bro had a yabby in a 1 foot tank for a year in the shed with two inches of water in it. When i asked him if i could have the "empty tank" he said "where am i gonna put the yabby?" i said the tanks empty, he replied what are you talking about, my yabbie lives there LOL

LOl, yah guess we are pertty anal. But then there are good reasons, some of the ornamentals get so much as a whiff of ammonia and promptly cark it LOL.

Lol I really like the sound of yabbies,

Lol another quetsion, would yabbies like baby guppies? I've got a large group I use for feeder fish, but they seem to be multiplying faster then my preds will eat em, would yabbies like some?

probably

don't feed the yabbies and they'll like the guppies LOTS