Fresh crays and prawns - keeping alive

[Simonr]

Hello - if anyone is interested I have kept about 50 crays and probably 20 freshwater prawns alive for the past 6 months. I have been using large plastic contaners from Supercheap, a double air pump from W, and two small bait traps. The only problem now is that the missus has started naming the crays and wont let me take some of the blue claws / bigger ones fishing....bloomin' pets !!!

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

Dear Simon,

The knack of any good marriage involving a fisherman is learning to tell a good lie.

Tell your good wife you've noticed some of the blue claw acting depressed, being a bit moody & anti social with the other crustaceans.

Tell her you read about such things in say "The Readers Digest" or any other reputable publication (NOT a Fishing Mag !!!) & the experts suggest a little time in the outdoors will do them wonders & HEY I'm going out in the boat Sunday maybe a bit of time on the water is just the thing they need. She will see your caring, soft side as you gently stroke the poor depressed yabbies forehead & will agree.

When you return from your trip with the biggest yellowbelly you've ever caught but missing her beloved pet "Bluey" the blueclaw, explain with a tear in your eye (lemon pepper helps) how "Bluey" had just started to smile again when suddenly your rod took off (you were towing a LURE of course) & "Bluey" seeing your distraction took advantage & jumped ship. You searched & searched (that's why you were out all day instead of just the morning as you promised) but couldn't find "Bluey".

Tell her the only way to find "Bluey", who shouldn't be in the wild after being domesticated, will be to return to the dam tomorrow with some of his mates from home. Only a blueclaw will know where a blueclaw would hide. The rest is obvious.

You should get a good 2 or three trips out of this little story. Once you get the hang of lying the next story will come easy, you'll clean out that tank in no time. Practice in front of the mirror if you aren't used to lying (ie you havn't been a fisherman for very long).

cheers,
chris
;)

[mackmauler]

Chris I hope she never finds out about ausfish ;D

Simon, do they ever get out, mine were never content with life in a fishtank, never new where they would turn up.

Cheers
Rob

[Simonr]

Oh dear Chris, She was sitting behind me when I opened your message ! Not only is she very upset with me - But she now wants to know your identity !! but as she spends as much time on the water as I then she can appreciate a good fish story. But since some of these yabbies are about 5 inches long - wouldn't they be too big for bait anyway ?
Hey Mack - I have a lid on top of my plastic containers but I have seen the m climb up the air hoses - only to be met by a big grinning ridgeback and akita - they then climb back down....
The ridgeback ate about twenty or so a few months back - she might be on to something....cheers Si.

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

5 inches #:D #I'll be over with my lemon pepper soon - get the toaster warmed up & the water on the boil.

Here Bluey, Bluey, Bluey... time for a bath boy.

Good effort Simon you should be in aquaculture!!!

How big were they when you started?

What'd you feed em, how many to a tank & did you have to change the water often.

Reason I ask, I used to keep redclaw but could never get any decent size from the ones indoors compared to the ones we kept in a pond outside.

chris

[Simonr]

Some of the yabbies were pretty big to start with - like 4 inches or so. I probably now have 4 at around 5-6 inches - but have 30 around 3-4 inches.Have been told they are nice to eat but being from Tas I've never tasted them....that might change soon !!
The Water I change every week, they feed on Carrot, mince and algae pellets, and each other ! First off I put about 50 into 1 tank and they went silly and killed each other, so I bought another and can keep about 25 in each one..They seem to live OK so far - I put a heap of plastic pipe in so they can hide. But I tell ya - I've never had a freshwater fish, like a yellow attack them as bait like they do - they are excellent !

[jaybee]

i would have eaten the buggers a long time ago, quite a few years ago i went to blackall to visit my bro, while he was working he sent me off to catch shrip and yabbies for a fishing trip, but i ate half the bait before he got home from work, needless to say my name was mud on that holiday. :-[
cheers.

[bugman]

Simon,

I bought some freshwater shrimp from the local pet store to go fishing at Marron Dame recently. They were really too small and the store said they don't buy them much bigger and usually sell them off before they grow.

I thought about keeping the blighters alive and fattening them up. How fast have the shrimp grown and what sort of pump are you using. Is it battery or 24volt operated. If it was going to cost me a bit to set up the tanks then it's really not worth going to the trouble seeing as how I only fish fresh a few times a year.

How do you stop them from jumping out?

Bugman

[Simonr]

I really did not know you could eat yabbies - are they really that tasty ?

Bugman - I started all this so I could go fishing when I wanted, not when the bait shops could let me ! so many times they did not have any, or as you say they only had tiny shrimps. My set up has cost me less than $40. Pump is a twin air outlet - $25. 24 Volt.(Big W has smaller ones for $10.) Plastic container with Lid from Supercheap- were on special $7.00. water crystals for de chlourinazation (sp) $2 a small jar. artificial plants $2. Small net $2. And syphon pump $1.The lid is always on - but a little off to one side to prevent condensation. The container is on wheels which keeps the bottom off the floor, and keeps out extremes in temp. The shrimp feed off the algae pellets and some are quite large now. We caught several babies only a few cm long they have doubled in size. Also Mullet Gut marine are selling collapsable bait traps (shrimp and Yabbie) for only 4.50 at the moment ! a bargain ! - cheers Si.