Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello all.

I just wanted to share things that have worked in my set up

i have now had my set up for 4 years
first year was just trout 25 trout.
second year 50 trout in winter then tried 25 barra in the summer months this failed due to a cold summer but in retrospect the season is to short here in adelaide to do this with out heating

third year I actually introduced yabbies into the main tank as time wasn't on my side to get trout.
had 10 yabbies that did aok through the winter in some pvc pipes. in december of this 3rd year I found some yabbies in my sump (babies) I went WTF how did that happen, that day I found another 20 babies in the grow beds, placed these in to the sump. i ended up with about 100 yabbies in the sumps. I have moved them all into the sumps to get my silver perch started this year, the big Mumma, have been building nests in a couple of pipes in preperation for another year of breeding

the reason it may work in my system is
I have a 2 scoria grow beds as well as 2 50/50 scoria and blue gravel that dump to 2 sumps,
the scoria has placed a bit of dirt build up in the sumps thus replicating a river bed.

All I will say is what works for one may not work for others, but in my system they work a treat

I love yabbies, you have done well with the breeding, mine seem to kill each other.

there have been a few lost in battles, i particularly love feeding them at night they are heaps active at night

I had my babies in a glass aquarium in my shed,

every time I walked past there were dozens of pairs of eyes checking me out,

Great creatures and they are very aware of their surroundings.

I was given about ten from a customer..
I wanted to keep them isolated to begin with and shoved them all in a 30L aquarium..
One by one they disappeared, until there was just three left.
I assume two "BIG" females and one small male (assumed)

I now have dozens of babies isolated to another tank, and as soon as they get big enough, they will be headed for the sump..
They are way too small to go in yet (IMO) as they get washed around badly and would likely get flushed into the main sump and munched by the pump..
..
.

Don't think anyone has ever said yabbies don't work in AP. But, they don't work well is a better comment.

Had yabbies for years in my AP but I wouldn't go throwing any money down on it as a grow out food source. Its slow and unpredictable.

I was just surprised by how many post I have seen stating that yabbies didnt work in peoples systems , I have them more for a fun not for a weekly meal, I just felt that because I have the sump with the build up of scoria dirt that this may have been one of the reasons why they work so well in my system and felt I would share this positive experience with others. they are differently not a productive food source like trout are in SA

I'll always have yabbies or some kind of crustacean in my AP systems, I love em!