Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

ok the foot print of the tank 60cmx40cm and the species is cherax destructor, they are not the larger spiny variety

You all do know what a steer is (as in cow) and why it is done - right? Seems to me the loss of a couple of weapons that aren't needed is minor by comparison.

signed,

The Costa Rican Barbarian....

You all do know what a steer is (as in cow) and why it is done - right? [/quote]

That would be steer as in Bull not Cow.

Just curious: was the increase due to their breeding or your additions?

we have had all sorts of numbers from very low to where we are now. we did have heaps of hidy holes too until they no longer needed it.

Oh man I remember when people were doing it in the pet trade trying to get them to regrow as a claw out of a claw. Oh boy did it ever cause morality drama. Same thing here but to solve aggression.
I don't want to comment on this... as my mind is flatline on it. Sometimes you have to play the numbers.

I have read that it heals but does it grow back?
Is it a regular maintenance thing you have to do every couple of months or is it something you can do when they're young, like circumcision?

It does grow back and takes a couple of moults.

Has anyone tried heat shrink?

You could heat shrink there claws closed and just do it again when they moult.

This has been covered a few times, but yabbies and koonacs are aggressive, they also have better photogenic memories than humans, and if they don't like a particular yabbie they will try and kill it, and remember it's face even in a big crowd, they need hides and plenty of space, they hate over crowding, they may tolerate it for a while but eventually tempers will flare,sex is easy as TT has mentioned males have 2 dicks (Like some people I know) and females 2 holes near the second legs, fewer yabbies bigger space is better but not always, if a yabbie wants another yabbies space, death for one will be the only answer

How about little wire gloves, like muzzels on their claws?:boxing:
Sounds good to me

Anyone have photos or pictures of cages for yabbies in one tank

I want to grow yabbies in a one tank without the fighting, as a kid we used to go out and catch them but now id rather leave them for the kids to catch and grow my own.

Adrian, when they're young, a screwed up ball of chicken wire works a treat. As they get bigger, pipes work best. making a pyramid of 4-5" pipes always works well. A bit like the "Morgue Sleeper compartments" in Japan.

So having more than 100 large yabbies in a 500lt tank would be ok then, eg: tank size 107 wide x 107 across x 70cm deep.
Plus how often would the water need to be turned over

Scrunched up shade cloth attached to a float makes an excellent hide for baby Marron, Yabbies etc, you can actually buy hides made out of similar material, but I would suggest that 100 yabbies in a tank that size is probably too many and they will cull themselves anyhow, a tank that size maybe 20 - 30 adults keep well fed and and have some adult sized hides like pvc pipe or rocks and bricks, 1 for each yabbie, a tank your size I would suggest at least a 1500lph pump as with the head you will have this would reduce it to 800 - 1000 lph, but buy the biggest pump you can afford as when you eventually expand you will already have the pump, Ideally the water should turn over once an hour and also a nice size air pump and stone running 24/7

As for clipping claws (How did I miss that discussion?)
I have done it before. Using a sharp pair of electrical-wire cutters.
They grow back COMPLETELY the next sloughing.
Which means, depending on how well you're feeding, they will need to be reclipped every 2 months or sooner.
They will need to be watched carefully, as some slough faster than others, and they don't all do it at the same time
The yabbies will let you know in no uncertain terms that they DO NOT LIKE THE PROCESS despite it being less damaging than a 1 on 1 battle.
They also remember from last month, and are no longer easy to catch by hand.
I did this years ago, and only did it twice, whilst it cuts down aggression it is simply not worth the bother imho.
Wiring claws or using shrinkwrap, would increase the difficulty of application tenfold, and I do not believe wither will work effectively if application is possible.
Breeding yabbies and keeping more than 5, I cannot imagine wanting to keep their claws clipped.