Yabbie Care
Aquarium yabbies make excellent pets, basically treat them the same as a gold fish. Fill the tank completely with water, yabbies breathe oxygen from the water the same as fish. A filter is required and an air pump is a good option to keep the water well oxygenated especially in the warmer months. Water changes should be done at least every 2 weeks, changing 25% of the water at a time. Make sure you use a dechlorinator like Aqua Plus or Prime to condition your water. Water quality is directly related to the amount of food placed into the water. Don't feed yabbies chunks of meat, feed your yabbies algae wafers or vegetables and the occasional garden worm. Shelter is important, each yabby requires a home of its own, rocks or logs in the tank are essential. Yabbies are very good at escaping from your tank so make sure you have the top of your tank covered properly.
The Ultimate Yabbie Farm
I have decided to share my secret yabbie farming techniques, as designed by me! I have used this for quite a few years, always with good success. It is cheap to build, doesn't require the expense & room of an extra tank & basically looks after itself.
Do you really need any more convincing?
Materials Required;Sexing Yabbies;
- 1 Used car tyre.
- 1 Breeding pair of yabbies. (minimum)
- 1 Sheet of plastic. (more than twice the lenght of the tyre)
- 3 or 4 Bricks.
- Sand.
- Water.
To keep this simple for everyone, I will show the basics only.
Google sexing yabbies for more detailed pics.
- Flip them over on their backs
- Look at their rear legs
- Male & female differences are quite obvious if you look closely at where their legs join the body.
- Males have an extra bit
- Females have the corresponding place for the extra bit to go.
- If they look different, you have a pair.
- If they look the same, they won't breed
Building Method;Farming Method;
- Select a suitable, quiet position out of direct sunlight.
- Spread plastic sheet out on the ground.
- Place the tyre on one end of the plastic.
- Cover the plastic in the center of the tyre with a generous mound of sand.
- Fill the inside of the tyre with water.
- Dampen the sand.
Hint's & Tips;
- Place yabbies on the inside of the tyre.
- Keep the sand moist, not wet, at all times.
- Keep the tyre topped up with fresh water.
- Feed vegetable scraps reqularly, not meat as they don't eat meat!
- Cover with the other end of the plastic.
- Allow good ventilation at all times.
- Anchor the plastic down with the bricks.
- During the colder months, the yabbies hibernate by digging into the sand
- Make sure the plastic is firmly attached during this time to protect them from frosts, rains, etc. They will also appreciate the extra warmth.
- Once established, the farm will supply you with a steady supply of yabbies.
- Remove any uneaten food after 1 week, to prevent bacteria build up.
- Yabbies will bury themselves in the sand, you will have to dig!
- Build a second farm & alternate where you harvest from.
Finally, if you need more info, just ask.
Happy farming!
Click for Aquarium Filtration Information
