Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm considering trialing a few redclaw in a cage.

Has anyone done it yet?
Any expert advice on growing redclaw - the do's and don'ts?

First throughts are to build a 'cage' out of a PVC frame possibly using a light shadecloth for walls, something like Mathew shows in the Housing for redclaw thread. I'm thinking of something with a base 1.6 m x 0.8 m and perhaps 1 m high with perhaps 5 'floors', each with 5 - 10 redclaw. [5.2 ft x 2.6 ft x 3.3 ft high]

I've yet to confirm it but I've found some listed prices where I can get about 50 juvenile redclaw (~20g each), for around $35 locally. If I can grow these out to 100-200g I think it would be worth the effort.

Anyone have practicle experience of what to feed them - sounds like they can be fed on hay with some basic pellets (some use chook pellets, but I've read it's not really recommended).

Are there any known issues with disease between redclaw and fish (Jade Perch)?

Any other info would be appreciated.

I have a long way to go until I can even think that I know a lot about redclaw, but I have had some in my possesion long enough for them to breed 2 or 3 times (one year) and have been reading up a lot on them...
They will eat just about anything - real scavengers! I feed mine a mix of sinking pellets (meant for Barra - which died last year so I have them spare) and a mix of vegetable feelings from dinner during the week. Potato has made up most of their feed... A farmer I read up on fed his redclaw Lucerne and hay which was just dumped into the dams, and then would add pellets as well.
I intend to stock Jade Perch in a tank which have redclaw in them... I know nothing of problems besides that redclaw will nip at the fish (in and aquarium anyway).
Make sure to 'escape proof' your tank where the redclaw will be housed as they are EXPERTS at escaping - in fact my largest male was found by my neighbor in HIS back yard! The damn thing had escaped from the aquarium (1000L) and crawled all the way up the back of my yard into his! I also found the odd juvenile redclaw all dried up on the lawn... I spent most of my day escape proofing my bathtubs as I will be getting 2kg of redclaw next week (at $20 a kilo).

Thanks AM, sounds like you've had some fun with them.

Do you know how big or how many your getting for your $20/kg?

The prices from my local suppliers in case you or anyone else is interested: Redclaw Crayfish

What sort of stocking rate/area have you had and do you intend to have with your new ones?

I have 3 standard bath tubs (3/4 filled with water) and one 1000L IBC just for redclaw for now...
Low density stocking would mean no more than 10 per square meter (surface area) - some info which came up in one of the articles I read ( a farmer who was after size and not quantity)... This would imply that higher stocking is possible - I had more than that in my fish tank (which is 1m cube)... but I have all manner of structures made up of PVC pipes and chopped up pool hose (which seemed to work well...)
from a government site:.
THe slower growth has not yet been a problem - I just anted them to get "to know" one another and breed !!!

I still want to try the idea of putting in Layers (similar to what you suggested earlier) which are made of shade cloth or similar... this would in essence give you more surface area, and should equate to higher stocking densities. I have structures made of shade cloth and the redclaw readily clamber up and down these as they seem to graze on the biofilm which grows on the shade cloth

If they were "caged" in the shade cloth, do you think they would manage to cut their way through it? There is also netting available out there that might be less $$ than shade cloth and yet be as strong and UV stable in a tank while allowing more water flow through. I've used some for my "tilapia" cage. If I could be relatively certain the crayfish wouldn't manage to cut through the netting, I might make a complete cage of the stuff and try adding some of them into my system too. (not redclaw for me though but ya get the drift.)

It's a good idea having shadecloth or similiar as added substrate,,,but I'd have that "within" a stronger more tear resistant container. i've got access to some nice plastic containers,,,kinda like those slide under bed storage containers but have slots for waterflow and are about 50cm X 35 cm and 16 cm tall,,,I was thinking perfect size for a male and 4 female per box ( breeding) or up to 10 per box grow out.

Good point, as always Lynx - just fine, strong fish netting may do it, and as AM and Chappo suggest, some shadecloth for hides etc. Hmm, starting to sound like a plan.

AM, do you think the potential escapees can tear/claw their way through fish netting or shade cloth?

NOt from my observations... The yabby pots I have for when we go fishing are made of a netting which is substantially thinner than shade cloth.... and we have caught several VERY big redclaw in the past years in them... I should sketch up some ideas about how I would place the shade cloth in an IBC... DAMN, now I need ANOTHER IBC!

This is the type of netting I used for my tilapia cage in the big tank. The 1/6" netting.
Might be good for crayfish cages if they won't try to cut through it.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/2111/Polypropylene-Netting/netting/0

While this would be good to separate free swimming fish, I would want something more closely woven if it is to act as a level for them to live and crawl about on. 70% shade cloth is what I am looking at using... Just need that extra IBC (I have the space, now need the IBC )

So far (a couple of months) None of our redclaw have attempted escape. We do have a layer of duckweed floating on the top of the tank which apparently gives them enough cover to want to stay put. They have plenty of hides and seem to co-exist happily with the hundreds of guppies. We feed them fish food flakes, some pellets(barra) and the leftover homemade bread.

Axl, if you placed bigger ones in your big tank they could never escape! Like a deep deep prison that would be!

AM, Axl, do you run salt in the water with your red claw? I'm running something like 2 - 3 ppt in the water I want to put some in but keep reading conflicting values of what red claw can take. Some say 2 ppt is not recommended for any period of time, others say they can tolerate up to 1/2 sea water levels, which is about 17 ppt?

I only use salt when there is a problem myself... never as an every day thing... Yes they might be able to tolerate those salt levels, but for how long?... THey are rather hardy but I have not come across literature which will say anything along those lines as of yet (give me a few weeks as I am currently brushing up on Redclaw details as they have 'caught my attention". )

by the way, Check out my thread to see the idea a number of people have thought about with regards to housing redclaw on levels in an IBC - my interpretation.

Yep, I like the idea - this is similar to what I was thinking of, except in my case I'd enclose the whole thing in shade cloth or fine mesh as I want to 'throw' it in my swimming pool. I'm trying to work out what might be cheaper/easier for my situation - if I can find individual cages (thinking something like a plastic clothes/laundry basket), I might just be able to hook them together... Trip to the shops sometime soon.

Still waiting for some feedback from local red claw suppliers...