Hi,
We were given four yabbies fo our maringe studies last wednesday.
I have them in a large tank with about 25 cm of water they seem OK but they seem to be keeping their tails rolled up. Do you think they are sick or is this what they do during the day?
I tried feeding them with algae pellets which they don't seem that interested in, is there better food to give them? Someone suggested cooked pumpkin.
Do they need a heater to get them breeding or is it a bit late in the season?
Do they need a good filter to keep the water clean and aerated and if so,is an undergravel one better than a hang on the side filter?
I would appreciate any tips and suggestions on keeping them.
Cheers
Estelle
Yabbies
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Slartibartfast
- Posts: 643
- Joined: 24 Oct 2006, 10:00
- State/Location: QLD
Re: Yabbies
G'day Estelle!
They keep their tails up mainly for better manouvrability around things but sometimes it's to protect eggs under their tail. Also, if they think a bigger yabbie will nip their backside they will tuck it under, I know I would.
Steer away from undergravel filters. Yabbies or Cherax Destructor as they are known are superb burrowers and unfortunantly they move/bulldoze the gravel and uncover the filter underneath rendering it useless.
Carrot they LOVE and peas are OK also and easily removed after a day or two before they go slimy. If the disc of carrot won't sink give it a squeeze under water then it will drop to the bottom. Old rotting food is the worst for any marine life. Pumpkin seeds they like but not the meaty part of the pumkin if it's and awkward shape/size. Keep any old discections (heart esp.) as they like this every couple of weeks but definantly not all the time as it provides too much protein too soon. They will happily eat sinking fish pellets and flakes but this turns the water foul pretty quickly if not eaten. Do the algae pellets break up in water? They like things they can hold while eating. With cut carrot it looks like they are eating an enourmous biscuit and you can see their bite marks it it!
Plenty of air bubbles and places to hide and they will be very happy. Merky water they really like but mine is crystal clear with little tubes of PVC for them to hide in so the students can see them.
Heat the water between 20 - 25deg C and they will grow quite rapidly and moult every couple of months. They don't require heating to keep but the growth rate is slower like most marine life in colder waters (not much of a problem up your way!)
Post some pics when you have time!
They keep their tails up mainly for better manouvrability around things but sometimes it's to protect eggs under their tail. Also, if they think a bigger yabbie will nip their backside they will tuck it under, I know I would.
Steer away from undergravel filters. Yabbies or Cherax Destructor as they are known are superb burrowers and unfortunantly they move/bulldoze the gravel and uncover the filter underneath rendering it useless.
Carrot they LOVE and peas are OK also and easily removed after a day or two before they go slimy. If the disc of carrot won't sink give it a squeeze under water then it will drop to the bottom. Old rotting food is the worst for any marine life. Pumpkin seeds they like but not the meaty part of the pumkin if it's and awkward shape/size. Keep any old discections (heart esp.) as they like this every couple of weeks but definantly not all the time as it provides too much protein too soon. They will happily eat sinking fish pellets and flakes but this turns the water foul pretty quickly if not eaten. Do the algae pellets break up in water? They like things they can hold while eating. With cut carrot it looks like they are eating an enourmous biscuit and you can see their bite marks it it!
Plenty of air bubbles and places to hide and they will be very happy. Merky water they really like but mine is crystal clear with little tubes of PVC for them to hide in so the students can see them.
Heat the water between 20 - 25deg C and they will grow quite rapidly and moult every couple of months. They don't require heating to keep but the growth rate is slower like most marine life in colder waters (not much of a problem up your way!)
Post some pics when you have time!
Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
-
estelle
- Posts: 272
- Joined: 16 Jun 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: VIP
- School: Wollumbin High
- Suburb: Murwillumbah
- State/Location: NSW
Re: Yabbies
Thanks Richard for the info, I am off to food tech to get some carrots to try.I forgot to ask but do you put gravel on the bottom, they are on glass so maybe they feel like they are skating.
Another thing, I brought them home from Byron in a bucket and at first I thought that I could hear them scratching the sides because there wasn't any water in it but I realised they were making sounds. Is that how they communicate with each other under water? It was amazing to hear.
Estelle.
Another thing, I brought them home from Byron in a bucket and at first I thought that I could hear them scratching the sides because there wasn't any water in it but I realised they were making sounds. Is that how they communicate with each other under water? It was amazing to hear.
Estelle.
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Slartibartfast
- Posts: 643
- Joined: 24 Oct 2006, 10:00
- State/Location: QLD
Re: Yabbies
Gravel and/or sand is fine. They like having a forrage in amongst it and keeps them from getting bored. One of mine is called Dozer because he is always re-arranging the bottom of the tank to his liking.
I forgot to mention plastic plants instead of real ones as they devour them in days.
They do make funny noises out of water like crabs! We (myself & 3 mates)caught a big female that was 26cm long not including her nippers and she was growling at us! All grown men and we screamed like girls when we heard it. Underwater they are very touchy feelie with their antenae as their eyesight is worse than a Great Danes! They use it to size each other up and look like a couple of long slender trout fishing rods when they use them.
They don't normally hang around out of water like crabs but will do so to get to another water spot, especially in drought. They can and do climb air hoses so watch out! My first yabbie when I was a teenager came in though the laundry from the back flyscreen room where it was kept, in through the dinning room into the loungeroom where I was watching TV with my brothers and sisters. We all thought it was an enourmous spider!!!! So yes, they can travel across vast distances quite happily!
The first pic is happy expectant mother 'Brenda' in her tube and the second is 'Dozer' near a spot he's cleared this morning for some future development.
Happy Yabbying!
I forgot to mention plastic plants instead of real ones as they devour them in days.
They do make funny noises out of water like crabs! We (myself & 3 mates)caught a big female that was 26cm long not including her nippers and she was growling at us! All grown men and we screamed like girls when we heard it. Underwater they are very touchy feelie with their antenae as their eyesight is worse than a Great Danes! They use it to size each other up and look like a couple of long slender trout fishing rods when they use them.
They don't normally hang around out of water like crabs but will do so to get to another water spot, especially in drought. They can and do climb air hoses so watch out! My first yabbie when I was a teenager came in though the laundry from the back flyscreen room where it was kept, in through the dinning room into the loungeroom where I was watching TV with my brothers and sisters. We all thought it was an enourmous spider!!!! So yes, they can travel across vast distances quite happily!
The first pic is happy expectant mother 'Brenda' in her tube and the second is 'Dozer' near a spot he's cleared this morning for some future development.
Happy Yabbying!
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Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
-
estelle
- Posts: 272
- Joined: 16 Jun 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: VIP
- School: Wollumbin High
- Suburb: Murwillumbah
- State/Location: NSW
Re: Yabbies
Hi Richard,
Good photos, hopefully ours will start breeding soon.
Yesterday I was worried that one was going to die it kept going on it's back so I kept turning it back over. I came in this morning and it had shed its shell. I guess that is why it kept getting on its back, it was probably glad when I went home!!
cheers
Estelle
Good photos, hopefully ours will start breeding soon.
Yesterday I was worried that one was going to die it kept going on it's back so I kept turning it back over. I came in this morning and it had shed its shell. I guess that is why it kept getting on its back, it was probably glad when I went home!!
cheers
Estelle
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Slartibartfast
- Posts: 643
- Joined: 24 Oct 2006, 10:00
- State/Location: QLD
Re: Yabbies
Ha! They do nod off upside down also I noticed! I wonder what they dream about? 
Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Re: Yabbies
We do have yabbies at our school too. They are given little pieces of poly pipe to hide in and are fed small pieces of carrots and frozen peas too. When they are very small our students keep them in ice-cream containers, but they very quickly learn to climb out of them, and are found all over the Prep/class room floor (dead). We don't use any aeration system when they are small, just a small fan blowing over the tops of about 5-12 ice-cream containers. They seem to be OK. As the grow, we move them into tanks, with filtration, aeration etc. Good luck with them.
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Slartibartfast
- Posts: 643
- Joined: 24 Oct 2006, 10:00
- State/Location: QLD
Re: Yabbies
The escape committee must be busy! 'Dozer' was found in lab 2 this morning by a cleaner. He's trekked from the other end of lab 1, through my prep room and into the 2nd lab! Popped him back in where he belongs and re arranged the glass lids on top to stop him getting out again. He climbed up the heater element.
He's a bit miffed as he went to a bit of trouble this time but what do you do with an errant child? He won't listen to anything I say.
He's a bit miffed as he went to a bit of trouble this time but what do you do with an errant child? He won't listen to anything I say.
Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Re: Yabbies
Richard,
They sound like heaps of fun to keep. You got me all enthused last year, but I've changed schools, so it's back to the drawing board. Fortuneately, my new school has a big, empty aquarium sitting there, just crying out for something interesting to be put in it!!! I might look into it over the holidays, and set it up while no one's around. Speaking of that, what would I do during the holidays? How often do they need feeding? Could I take them home, or would they get upset at being shifted? What would you do with all the babies, if they had heaps? Should I just start with two?
I live close to my school, so checking them won't be a problem. Thanks for any tips.
Cheers,
Lisa
They sound like heaps of fun to keep. You got me all enthused last year, but I've changed schools, so it's back to the drawing board. Fortuneately, my new school has a big, empty aquarium sitting there, just crying out for something interesting to be put in it!!! I might look into it over the holidays, and set it up while no one's around. Speaking of that, what would I do during the holidays? How often do they need feeding? Could I take them home, or would they get upset at being shifted? What would you do with all the babies, if they had heaps? Should I just start with two?
I live close to my school, so checking them won't be a problem. Thanks for any tips.
Cheers,
Lisa
Re: Yabbies
Richard,
You sneak. You edited your last entry and deleted the "smacking" line. And just when I had a smart alec response too!
Cheers, K
You sneak. You edited your last entry and deleted the "smacking" line. And just when I had a smart alec response too!
Cheers, K
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estelle
- Posts: 272
- Joined: 16 Jun 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: VIP
- School: Wollumbin High
- Suburb: Murwillumbah
- State/Location: NSW
Re: Yabbies
Hello,
I came in this morning and found my yabby is holding eggs under her tail! We haven't had much luck so far with marine breeding so far, so this is great.
Now What!! Do I have to take her out of the tank? She is in with the male and another pair.
I also found last week that one of my mouth breeders is holding babies as well, so I will have to catch her in a day or two and get her to spit out the babies before she does it in the tank and provides free food for the rest of the species.
I am not much good at taking photos but if I can get someone else to I will post them here.
Estelle
I came in this morning and found my yabby is holding eggs under her tail! We haven't had much luck so far with marine breeding so far, so this is great.
Now What!! Do I have to take her out of the tank? She is in with the male and another pair.
I also found last week that one of my mouth breeders is holding babies as well, so I will have to catch her in a day or two and get her to spit out the babies before she does it in the tank and provides free food for the rest of the species.
I am not much good at taking photos but if I can get someone else to I will post them here.
Estelle
Re: Yabbies
Congratulations Estelle, so you will be mummy thousand times over. 
Lada
PS Just for that karma is coming your way
Lada
PS Just for that karma is coming your way
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Slartibartfast
- Posts: 643
- Joined: 24 Oct 2006, 10:00
- State/Location: QLD
Re: Yabbies
Congratulations!! And the good news is once they start breeding they continue to do so! What colour are the eggs?
They start a burgundy colour but as they start to grey/go clear that's when you need to think about moving her to a smaller tank by herself. Make sure the water temp is the same as the one your taking her from (use the same water if you can) as any diffenrence even by a couple of deg. will kill off most of the littlies before they are even released.
If this is her first it will be a relativley small 'litter' - only a couple of hundred or so. They are great to watch being released and this will take place over a couple of days. If it's drawn out too long, use a glass stirring rod and stir her a bit (gently) - she'll flick her tail and release loads in one go.
Once they are all off, bung her back with the old man and wait for the next batch!
Feed the littlies with granulated goldfish sprinkle or use goldfish flakes (coloured) if you want the baby yabbies to be seen easily. As they get bigger use carrot as it's kinder to the water and easily removed. Make sure the water is well oxygenated and you don't have to bother with filtration if you use food sparingly.
Start removing the larger ones once they start getting to about 1 inch long and you'll be suprised at the very high survival rate. I've got 6 generations from the 1 mating pair on the go here at the moment!
Over the holidays pop in one of those goldfish holiday feeders - they are white usually in the shape of a shell - that will last them weeks.
Sorry I modified the line you had a response to Kristin - can't remember why I did it now!
Happy Yabbying!!!
They start a burgundy colour but as they start to grey/go clear that's when you need to think about moving her to a smaller tank by herself. Make sure the water temp is the same as the one your taking her from (use the same water if you can) as any diffenrence even by a couple of deg. will kill off most of the littlies before they are even released.
If this is her first it will be a relativley small 'litter' - only a couple of hundred or so. They are great to watch being released and this will take place over a couple of days. If it's drawn out too long, use a glass stirring rod and stir her a bit (gently) - she'll flick her tail and release loads in one go.
Once they are all off, bung her back with the old man and wait for the next batch!
Feed the littlies with granulated goldfish sprinkle or use goldfish flakes (coloured) if you want the baby yabbies to be seen easily. As they get bigger use carrot as it's kinder to the water and easily removed. Make sure the water is well oxygenated and you don't have to bother with filtration if you use food sparingly.
Start removing the larger ones once they start getting to about 1 inch long and you'll be suprised at the very high survival rate. I've got 6 generations from the 1 mating pair on the go here at the moment!
Over the holidays pop in one of those goldfish holiday feeders - they are white usually in the shape of a shell - that will last them weeks.
Sorry I modified the line you had a response to Kristin - can't remember why I did it now!
Happy Yabbying!!!
Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
Re: Yabbies
Estelle, I went home yesterday and a pair of cichlidae became parents to hundreds of babbies. We have a tropical fishtank at home. They made a cave under driftwood and keep them there. Parents are very protective and so far other fish cannot get anywhere near them.
So that will make me a GRADMA.
So that will make me a GRADMA.
