One of the most common causes of disease and mortality in land-based aquaculture is problems with water quality. Water quality has a direct effect on the health of aquatic animals. Some of the key factors affecting water quality are temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, suspended solids, toxic waste levels such as ammonia and flow rates.
It is important that all aspects of water quality are monitored by the farmer, records kept on a daily basis and the factors associated with healthy water are adjusted if necessary to ensure they fall within acceptable ranges. Further information on 
water quality and disease.
Good water quality also means that your freshwater crayfish should be healthy and fetch the best prices. How live crayfish are handled to prepare them for the market is of utmost importance in ensuring their survival during transport. Further information is available on preparing freshwater crayfish for market.
There are several diseases which affect freshwater crustaceans – for example Thelohania (usually marron and yabbies) and Epistylis and Temnocephla (usually yabbies).