Blue or Red Claw Crayfish (Cherax Quadricarinatus)

Do you want to give your aquarium a pop of color and excitement? The scientific name for the Blue or Red Claw Crayfish is Cherax quadricarinatus, and it might be the best option. This crayfish can add a distinct charm to any aquatic setup with its vivid colors and captivating behavior. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced aquarist, knowing this species’ requirements and traits will help you provide a healthy habitat for them.

The Blue or Red Claw Crayfish, which is indigenous to freshwaters in Australia and New Guinea, is distinguished by its vivid colors and powerful claws. Because of their reputation for resilience and adaptability, these crayfish are a popular option for a wide range of aquarium configurations. To ensure they flourish and show off their entire spectrum of brilliant colors, they do need particular care.

We’ll cover all you need to know about maintaining Cherax quadricarinatus in your aquarium in this article. We’ll go over everything you need to know to give these amazing crustaceans the best care possible, from their dietary requirements and habitat preferences to their potential for interaction with other tank mates. Get ready to learn how the Blue or Red Claw Crayfish can add vibrancy and color to your aquarium!

Aspect Details
Common Name Blue or Red Claw Crayfish
Scientific Name Cherax Quadricarinatus
Origin Australia
Size Up to 8 inches (20 cm)
Color Blue or Red claws with a mix of colors
Tank Requirements Minimum 30 gallons, well-filtered, with hiding spots
Water Conditions pH 6.5-7.5, temperature 72-82°F (22-28°C)
Diet Omnivorous, eats pellets, vegetables, and live food
Behavior Aggressive, best kept with other crayfish or alone
Breeding Requires specific conditions, females carry eggs under their tail
Tank Mates Avoid small fish or slow-moving species

Habitat

Australia and New Guinea as their natural habitats.

Located alongside small streams and shallow rivers. However, Cherax Quadricarinatus primarily favors canals with stagnant water, ponds, and closed reservoirs for irrigation.

Cherax Red Claw is not like other members of the genus; it is not a normal digger. It takes refuge in naturally occurring hiding places, such as beneath fallen logs, piles of dead wood, or overhanging bank slopes.

Cherax quadricarinatus, commonly known as the Blue or Red Claw Crayfish, is an intriguing addition to any aquarium due to its vibrant color and active lifestyle. Aquarists adore this native Australian species for its vivid colors and adaptability to different tank conditions. To ensure their success and prevent them from upsetting the ecosystem of the tank, these crayfish require specific care, such as a clean and spacious habitat. These crayfish can add beauty and intrigue to your aquatic environment when set up properly.

Description

The red claw crayfish is an exquisite creature. The body is mostly bright blue with scattered yellowish specks. On both sides of the abdomen are red stripes, and the joints between the segments can be identified by blue, orange, red, or pink coloring. The color darkens to a brown or black in soft water.

Strong claws are a defining characteristic of males; in sexually mature individuals, a broad, flat growth known as a claw forms on the outside of the claw. This growth acts as a characteristic that sets this species apart from other Heraxes. It can be pink or whitish, but in brightly colored individuals, it is typically cherry-red in color, which is how this species got its name, Red Claw (áherax quadricarinatus red claw). Males experience this growth only after they reach sexual maturity. In contrast to the animal’s regular everyday state, the male’s claw color becomes more vibrant and saturated when he is ready for mating.

The female crayfish is more graceful and smaller, with a maximum length of 20 cm and a maximum weight of 500 g.

Behavior and compatibility

This species is very low maintenance, even for the most inexperienced aquarist. Nevertheless, they hardly ever grow to the size and weight of their wild counterparts or those raised on specialized farms when housed in aquariums. It’s possible that the food that crayfish eat in their natural habitats differs in quality from what they eat in aquariums. Additionally, there are excellent opportunities to establish specific, nearly natural conditions for raising crayfish on specialized farms.

They are not dangerous to most shrimp and fish, but they enjoy eating snails and can catch small fish when needed. They will be eaten or dug up by crayfish, so it is impossible to keep them in an aquarium with live plants.

Males are territorial creatures, and they do not like it when the aquarium is overcrowded.

But unlike their counterparts raised in hard water, this type of crustacean’s aggressiveness is directly influenced by their living conditions; in soft water, it decreases, but its coloring becomes more unremarkable. Aggression increases in hard water.

Crayfish need to be kept in large-volume species aquariums (150 liters or more) to avoid aggression. The young should be placed in a nursery aquarium, and as the young crayfish grow, they need to be sorted. These crayfish grow unevenly, and different sized crustaceans can come from the same litter. This is not abnormal for the development process, as small crayfish will eventually catch up to larger ones during the next growth spurt, but sorting is still necessary.

Aquarium

A 150-liter aquarium is enough for one pair of people.

Because of their resilience, these crayfish can survive for a very long period in captivity under the right circumstances. They are housed in aquariums with a thick layer of soil and hard water. Crayfish can withstand slight temperature changes between 23 and 26 °C, but it is not ideal for the temperature to fall below 18 °C.

They can withstand temperatures as high as thirty degrees during the summer months, but it’s important to keep an eye on the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.

This species does not have strict requirements regarding the hardness or purity of the water in the aquarium; the ranges for dGH and pH are 5 to 20 and 6.5 to 8.5, respectively.

Feeding

Vegetarians will make up the majority of the population, and they will devour aquatic plants. Therefore, it is preferable to add driftwood and large stones to the aquarium. Using Thai fern is the only way to attempt greening the aquarium (Microsorium pteropus).

Diet mixed. The vegetarian part of the diet consists of vegetables, dry food, necessarily oak or beech leaves, almond leaves deserve special attention (in addition to the fact that for Cherax quadricarinatus red claw this dish is a delicacy, it is also a powerful natural antiseptic, without which the animal"s immune system is weakened and it becomes susceptible to various diseases). In this case, you need to use only brownish-reddish leaves. Gray leaves cannot be used, as they were collected green and may contain toxic substances. Before using fallen leaves, they must be dried for at least a week. You cannot take rotten leaves from reservoirs, as the likelihood of introducing parasites into the aquarium is maximum.

Various vegetables, peas, frozen food, snails, worms, and granulated fish food—which should include calcium and mineral supplements—should be added to the diet in addition to foliage. You can also feed crayfish specialized food that has all the ingredients needed.

Cherax Quadricarinatus, commonly known as the Blue and Red Claw Crayfish, are intriguing additions to any aquarium. They are an exceptional option for both beginning and seasoned aquarists due to their vivid colors and distinctive behaviors. When given the right care, these crayfish can adapt well to a variety of tank conditions and are not only visually striking.

The territorial nature of Cherax quadricarinatus is an important factor to take into account when keeping them. If you intend to keep more than one crayfish in your aquarium, you must make sure there are plenty of hiding places and space for them to roam around in. Larger tanks are ideal for them as they allow them to carve out their own areas and stay out of trouble all the time.

To maintain their health, these crayfish also have particular dietary requirements that must be met. They’ll thrive on a well-balanced diet of premium pellets, occasionally augmented with frozen or live foods. Maintaining a wholesome environment for your crayfish will also require routine tank maintenance and water parameter monitoring.

In conclusion, the Red and Blue Claw Crayfish can add a vibrant and lively touch to your aquarium. They can be an interesting and low-maintenance addition to your aquatic world with the correct setup and care. As they add character and vibrancy to your aquarium, take pleasure in witnessing their distinctive behaviors.

Video on the topic

Australian crayfish eats a worm 🪱

Australian red-clawed crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus

Red-clawed crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus)

What part of aquarium maintenance do you consider the most difficult?
Share to friends
Olga Vishnevskaya

Biologist by education, aquarist by vocation. Specialization — breeding and care of freshwater aquarium plants. Since childhood I have been fond of aquariums, constantly experimenting with creating biotopes and selecting flora for various types of aquariums. I am sure that green aquariums can transform any interior and improve the quality of life.

Rate author
InfoProekt24.com
Add a comment