Yabbies...

[cuticom]

So, I picked up some yabbies today for a pond (no theres no fish in it). Oh if anyone wants to know what yabbies are there a native Aussie crayfish- cherax destructor. Anyway, since I wasn't really interested in paying $15 per yabby from a pet store, and since the drought all the yabbies have moved out of the dams, I picked up some from a bait store. I wanted at least 5 healthy ones, so bought 10. The silly guy couldn't count and I didn't look till I got home, but I got nine 10 cm long yabbies. After transferring them to separate containers so I could make sure they were healthy enough to move to the pond I found the sweetest little, less then a cm long baby crayfish among all the debris in the box. So I had a good look at all the yabbies today, 6 were healthy with all their claws and legs and were all transferred to the pond. Of the remaining three, two were missing a claw each, and one was missing most of its legs and both its pincers. the baby I also kept back.

So I was wondering if anyone could help me? from what I've read I think that the two yabbies missing pincers will regrow them in the next moult, but what about the one missing almost everything? he/she is still strong enough to eat, as it consumed a slice of carrot overnight. Also what else will that adults eat? just any type of veggie? Right now I've been feeding them carrots. The baby I can just feed small pieces of flake food right?

Some pics for those interested, the yabby pond is run by a system called aquaponics, its a rather remarkable technique but works wonderfully.

One of the one claw yabbies

Baby Yabby

 

[fatboy]

Can't really help, I just wanted to say how cool the yabbies and set-up were.

No idea about crays, sorry. If they're anything like long-arm shrimp, the most damaged one will end up dead before long. the first encounter with a single-clawed tankmate and he's toast.

 

[raptorrex]

So, I picked up some yabbies today for a pond (no theres no fish in it). Oh if anyone wants to know what yabbies are there a native Aussie crayfish- cherax destructor. Anyway, since I wasn't really interested in paying $15 per yabby from a pet store, and since the drought all the yabbies have moved out of the dams, I picked up some from a bait store. I wanted at least 5 healthy ones, so bought 10. The silly guy couldn't count and I didn't look till I got home, but I got nine 10 cm long yabbies. After transferring them to separate containers so I could make sure they were healthy enough to move to the pond I found the sweetest little, less then a cm long baby crayfish among all the debris in the box. So I had a good look at all the yabbies today, 6 were healthy with all their claws and legs and were all transferred to the pond. Of the remaining three, two were missing a claw each, and one was missing most of its legs and both its pincers. the baby I also kept back.

So I was wondering if anyone could help me? from what I've read I think that the two yabbies missing pincers will regrow them in the next moult, but what about the one missing almost everything? he/she is still strong enough to eat, as it consumed a slice of carrot overnight. Also what else will that adults eat? just any type of veggie? Right now I've been feeding them carrots. The baby I can just feed small pieces of flake food right?

Some pics for those interested, the yabby pond is run by a system called aquaponics, its a rather remarkable technique but works wonderfully.

One of the one claw yabbies

Baby Yabby

you can be sure the missing things will grow back, but not in one moult, it could take several. i know of aquaponics, i really wish i could go more into it. lol thei pic of the yabbie look like a redclaw,[size=-1]Cherax quadricarinatus .

[/size][size=-1]i really an jealous, i cant even keep my cray in a pond[/size], apart from freezing most of the year, it illegal in the uk.[size=-1] and im restricted, to keeping Redclaws too.

keep the posts coming, we are short of Crayfish posters here.
[/size]

 

[cuticom]

Its def cherax destructor, these bait guy I bought em off had fished the original yabbies out of his own damn. It's too cold down here for cherax quadricarinatus, as we do have drops down to 1 degree. Lol I've always wanted yabs, but my mums opinion of them being stinky smelly creatures never really helped much.

The yabs I kept back are all in seperate containers for now, as I'm kinda doubtful bout them holding there own against each other, one of them is a really really evil male LOL.

 

[Invader Xan]

Baby yabby... So cute!

 

[cuticom]

Well I lost one of the one claws overnight, not sure why.

Since I'm bored, I thought I'd post some more baby yabby pics, he really needs a name LOL
8mm diameter output tube for a filter

Next to airline tubing

 

[raptorrex]

Its def cherax destructor, these bait guy I bought em off had fished the original yabbies out of his own damn. It's too cold down here for cherax quadricarinatus, as we do have drops down to 1 degree. Lol I've always wanted yabs, but my mums opinion of them being stinky smelly creatures never really helped much.

The yabs I kept back are all in seperate containers for now, as I'm kinda doubtful bout them holding there own against each other, one of them is a really really evil male LOL.

lol didn't mean to imply you were wrong, guy. just remarking on how similar the two types look!

how they go together will depend on the Cray itself, they seem to have varied personality's, and tank size! as a rule i would say one cray per tank except for breeding. that's just a guide, not a rule, lol but a good place to start!

 

[cuticom]

Hey do these guys have much personality? or do they just hang around? Have managed to free up a tank so was thinking about sticking one of the more colourful yabs in there...

Hmph well a yabby died midmoult last night, one of the one claws I'd kept back. I'm also not having much luck with the system as theirs not enough bioload to feed the plant, so on to plan b, all the yabs will be in separate condos all hooked into the system, and goldfish'll go into the tub.

 

[raptorrex]

Hey do these guys have much personality? or do they just hang around? Have managed to free up a tank so was thinking about sticking one of the more colourful yabs in there...

Hmph well a yabby died midmoult last night, one of the one claws I'd kept back. I'm also not having much luck with the system as theirs not enough bioload to feed the plant, so on to plan b, all the yabs will be in separate condos all hooked into the system, and goldfish'll go into the tub.

lol yeh they do have personality!! . most i have met, are quite complicated in that way. they are mischievous, industrious and enthralling!

 

[cuticom]

LOl well I just removed all the java moss from the tank so lets hope Yabs are intersting LOL. I cant belive the amount of java moss I removed, I strated off with a small golfball size piece, the java moss is now like 4-5 handfuls worth when it's all wadded up and easily filled the 15g I moved it to LOL.

Well I think all the yabs are cranky at me now. I pulled all of em out and spent half an hour comparing them and deciding which one I wanted lOL. I ended up taking the biggest one, she has massive bright blue pincers, absolutely kills when you try to pick hr up LOl, I've been using a tree tube (black tube using for baby trees) to move her around so I don't have to get pinched again.

 

[cuticom]

Okay I just have to say it, a plague on those bliddy guppies. So after having females continually abort there fry, as well as adults dying left right and centre from no illness other then inbreeding, I moved the last three guppies to the eel tank, so I at least wouldn't have to be cleaning up aborted fry. So I pull all the java moss out of their original tank, give the whole thing a REALLY good gravel vac and begin setting it up for the yabby, and lo and behold what do I find? many pairs of eyes watching me. Blah so far I've fished 15 out and their in a 5l container with heater and sponge filter to hopefully grow up, or if they drive me mad, to feed to the eels. So now I'll be spending the next hour watching the tank to amke sure I got all the guppies out before my yabby can move in.

 

[GoldLenny]

LOl well I just removed all the java moss from the tank so lets hope Yabs are intersting LOL. I cant belive the amount of java moss I removed, I strated off with a small golfball size piece, the java moss is now like 4-5 handfuls worth when it's all wadded up and easily filled the 15g I moved it to LOL.

Well I think all the yabs are cranky at me now. I pulled all of em out and spent half an hour comparing them and deciding which one I wanted lOL. I ended up taking the biggest one, she has massive bright blue pincers, absolutely kills when you try to pick hr up LOl, I've been using a tree tube (black tube using for baby trees) to move her around so I don't have to get pinched again.

You have to learn how to grab them on them http/www.shrewsbury-ma.gov/schools/centr...%20a%20crayfish

When we would go crawfishing down here, we'd dump the nets in the icechest but some we'd have to grab out the net or off the ground. If you grab them in the right place, they can't pinch you.

 

[raptorrex]

LOl well I just removed all the java moss from the tank so lets hope Yabs are intersting LOL. I cant belive the amount of java moss I removed, I strated off with a small golfball size piece, the java moss is now like 4-5 handfuls worth when it's all wadded up and easily filled the 15g I moved it to LOL.

Well I think all the yabs are cranky at me now. I pulled all of em out and spent half an hour comparing them and deciding which one I wanted lOL. I ended up taking the biggest one, she has massive bright blue pincers, absolutely kills when you try to pick hr up LOl, I've been using a tree tube (black tube using for baby trees) to move her around so I don't have to get pinched again.

if find it much less stressful, for both Cray and me, if i use a tube to remove them. pop it in the tank with some food in. and as the Cray moves in for the food, i put a hand over each end, and pull it out. handling i Cray is very hard on the it. unless it has been handled, as a matter of course, since it was born. lol chasing it around the tank trying to catch it by hand only compounds the stress, and it may well lead the Cray to strike out at fish who get close to it in the future.