Aquarium crayfish are a good option if you want to give your aquarium a little extra excitement. With their striking hues and distinctive habits, these fascinating animals not only catch the eye but also give your tank a fresh dynamic. They are the underwater version of your living room’s little, submerged lobster!
Aquarium crayfish come in a variety of popular varieties, each with unique characteristics and charms. These species, which range from the remarkably colorful Electric Blue Crayfish to the resilient and versatile Red Claw Crayfish, provide a multitude of choices for various tank configurations and aquarist experiences. The crayfish that live in your aquarium and how they interact with it can be greatly influenced by the type of crayfish you choose.
We’ll look at some of the most common varieties of crayfish that you can keep in your aquarium in this article. We’ll talk about their unique needs, what makes them unique, and how they can liven up your aquatic setup. Experienced or novice aquarists alike will learn a lot about these fascinating undersea creatures.
- Soil for aquarium crayfish
- Decorating an aquarium with crayfish
- Water temperature in an aquarium with crayfish
- Plants in an aquarium with crayfish
- Acidity and hardness of water for aquarium crayfish
- Compatibility of crayfish with aquarium fish
- Moulting of aquarium crayfish
- Feeding aquarium crayfish
- Breeding aquarium crayfish
- Aquarium crayfish diseases
- 9 most popular types of aquarium crayfish
- Blue Florine crayfish
- Orange dwarf crayfish
- Video on the topic
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Soil for aquarium crayfish
One basic fact to keep in mind when selecting soil for a crayfish aquarium is that the fish dig holes. Consequently, it is preferable to use soil that has a fraction of at least 2-3 millimeters; finer soil will cause excessive dusting. To spare the crayfish further trouble during the molting process, it is preferable to select a rounded substrate with no sharp edges.
Decorating an aquarium with crayfish
A variety of snags, grottoes, and stone caves can be used to adorn an aquarium with crayfish, providing them with shelter. Shelters made of ceramic tubes and flower pots are occasionally utilized.
Water temperature in an aquarium with crayfish
The average ideal temperature for crayfish is between 19 and 25 degrees, as most of them prefer colder water than fish.
Aeration and filtering for crayfish in aquariums
Conventional wisdom regarding aquariums holds that there is never too much filtration. This is more accurate for crayfish than it is for fish. Because crayfish prefer to stash food away for later, uneaten food spoils and releases noxious chemicals (nitrogen compounds) into the water. For this reason, the stronger the filtration in the aquarium, the better. It is advised to use a filter that can handle 10 to 15 volumes of aquarium water per hour. If the filter generates an excessively strong current, you can break up the flow with a flute or other tools.
Water changes are essential for maintaining the aquarium’s filtration system, regardless of its strength. While 50% water changes can be done once a week in large aquariums, it is preferable to perform 20–30% changes several times a week in smaller aquariums.
When keeping crayfish in an aquarium, aeration must be strong enough to prevent the fish from trying to escape through the filter’s wires and tubes in the event of low oxygen levels.
Crayfish and plants in aquariums
Plants in an aquarium with crayfish
It is very difficult for any aquarium plant to survive in an aquarium with crayfish; only plants with strong stems, robust root systems, and tough leaves stand a chance. The Mexican dwarf crayfish is thought to be the only one that has adapted to plants because of how little trouble it causes compared to its size.
Crayfish are a great option if you want to give your aquarium a little extra vigor. Well-known varieties like the Red Claw, Electric Blue, and Dwarf crayfish add eye-catching hues and distinctive behaviors to your aquarium while providing an enthralling look at the underwater environment. Understanding the differences between each species will help you select the best one for your setup and guarantee a healthy aquatic environment. Each species has unique needs and characteristics.
Acidity and hardness of water for aquarium crayfish
The key is that this indicator is stable; there are no specific requirements for the acidity of the water; it can exist in the PH range of 6.5 to 8.
Hardness of the water is a more significant factor. It is preferable to avoid keeping crayfish in extremely soft water to prevent the development of shell disease in them.
Compatibility of crayfish with aquarium fish
On aquarium forums, the question of whether crayfish and aquarium fish get along is a frequent source of disagreement. Here’s why it’s preferable to keep crayfish and fish apart.
It is possible for dwarf crayfish and small aquarium fish to be close to one another, but there are certain issues involved. Crayfish are utterly helpless for the first day of their molting period, until the shell hardens. A crayfish can be fatally injured or seriously injured by even small fish, like micro rasbora. Conversely, a crayfish, which is a predator by nature, can attack and harm small fish during other times.
It does not include crayfish that are close to big fish. Everything will go wrong and the crayfish will starve to death because they are scared to leave the shelter in search of food.
Moulting of aquarium crayfish
Aquarium crayfish moulting
It is no secret that all crustaceans periodically molt. Changing the old chitinous shell to a new one is the only way to grow. Young individuals molt often, about once a week. Adult dwarf crayfish molt less often. During the molt period, it is especially important for the crayfish to have a shelter where the animal stays until its new shell hardens. Also, molting is a way to restore lost limbs. Crayfish lose them under a variety of circumstances (most often, the claws suffer). Also, a crayfish can lose its legs during the molt itself – if the crayfish cannot extract a limb from the old shell, it tears it off or bites it off. In both cases, this phenomenon is called autotomy. In general, if you suddenly see a crayfish with one claw, do not worry, it will soon grow back during the next molt.
Tetra essential for crayfish in aquariums
Many factors affect the molt’s success. The water’s calcium content is one of them. The building block of chitin for the shell is calcium. Iodine is also a critical component. It is a coenzyme involved in the production of chitin. A high likelihood of the cancer dying from lack of iodine increases the likelihood that it won’t be able to molt. Iodinol is therefore your best friend if you have crustaceans in your aquarium. We can suggest Tetra Vital, a branded preparation that also includes iodine.
Feeding aquarium crayfish
Supplying crayfish in aquariums
Crayfish feeding is not a difficult task. All-consuming. They work particularly well with crunch food tablets for sinking granules and catfish. They enjoy eating live food, such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. They enjoy eating carrots and scalded cucumber or zucchini pieces. It’s important to remember that crayfish are referred to as "aquarium orderlies" since they will never stop eating carrion.
Specialized foods are available for crayfish kept in aquariums. Take Tetra Crusta Menu, for instance, for a comprehensive and varied diet of crayfish and shrimp.
You can give them fish and squid pieces as a treat. Nonetheless, plant-based food should be prioritized when feeding. Adult crayfish are fed three times a week instead of daily. Only juveniles that are constantly growing and molting are fed every day. Red-brown oak leaves are a good addition to a crayfish’s diet because they are a mild natural antiseptic and boost the fish’s immunity.
Breeding aquarium crayfish
Raising crayfish in aquariums
If the aquarist managed to create good living conditions for the crayfish: the water in the aquarium is clean, the pets are well-fed and feel safe, then no special stimulation is required to awaken the reproductive instinct. Mating usually begins after the female molts, she releases pheromones into the water, to which the male immediately reacts. The mating process is more like a merciless battle that lasts for several hours than a love game. If the female is much smaller and weaker than the male, he can even accidentally kill her. It is advisable to keep several females and one male in the aquarium, the male is capable of fertilizing several females in a short period of time. It is better to put a pregnant female carrying eggs under her tail in a separate aquarium so that she is not exposed to the aggression of the male. The gestation period depends on the size of the crayfish, in the dwarf Mexican crayfish, crayfish are born after 14 days, large blue crayfish carry offspring for up to 40 days. The appearance of small crayfish requires special attention from the aquarist. It is necessary to monitor the quality of the water, the most important thing is to control the content of nitrogen compounds, make timely water changes. It is also necessary to sort the crayfish, the young grow unevenly and larger individuals will gladly eat their smaller relatives. Starter food is the same as for fish: infusoria, brine shrimp, you can grind fish food into dust.
Aquarium crayfish diseases
Aquarium crayfish are prone to illness just like fish are, but sadly, most crab diseases are incurable, meaning that in nearly all cases, the ill individual dies.
Different parasite illnesses:
Many parasites, including leeches and microscopic worms, can attach themselves to the shell of crayfish. You can eliminate these parasites by giving your pet a salt bath.
Epistylis is the term for different protozoa colonizing the crayfish shell. Visual cues: a brown or grayish coating covers the crayfish. The disease is typically caused by unfavorable environmental factors, such as contaminated water or an inappropriate temperature. These factors lower the crayfish’s immunity and make it less able to fight off the harmful microflora in its environment.
Carapace illness. The following are signs of shell disease: the crayfish shell stays soft for a much longer period of time after molting than it should. Unbalanced nutrition and inadequate water hardness are the disease’s causes. Everything will pass if you feed the crayfish tiny snails and use special salt sets to raise the water’s hardness.
The plague of crayfish. An exceedingly dangerous fungal disease known as Aphanomices astaci. The sick crayfish has black spots on its body and white, brown, or red spots on its tail. When a crayfish is ill, its behavior changes, its gait becomes erratic, it becomes active during the day, and eventually it causes convulsions and death. Because the disease is contagious, the sick crayfish needs to be isolated as soon as you notice the symptoms.
Disease known as rusty spots. One more fungal illness brought on by members of the Mucedinaceae genus. The disease’s symptoms are evident from the name: the cancerous growth has patches that resemble rust on its body. As time passes, the shell in these areas softens, deep ulcers develop, tissue necrosis starts, and finally, the animal dies. There’s no proven cure. There needs to be social distancing for the cancer patient.
Porcelain illness. This disease paralyzes the cancer’s entire musculoskeletal system, and eventually the cancer dies of exhaustion. No treatment has been created.
9 most popular types of aquarium crayfish
Australian crayfish with red claws
(Quatricarinatus cherax)
Australian crayfish with red claws
With a blue body speckled with yellow, this stunning creature can grow up to 20 centimeters in length and weigh up to half a kilogram. Each group needs an aquarium with a capacity of at least 150 liters. The ideal temperature range is between 23 and 26. withstands a temporary drop to 18. It can withstand summer temperatures of up to thirty degrees, but the aquarium’s aeration needs to be increased multiple times. It has a five to six year lifespan in an aquarium.
Zebra crayfish
(Papuanus Cherax)
Grows from 6 to 14 cm smaller than the previous relative. An aquarium of 20–25 liters will suffice for one crayfish; if you intend to keep a group of crayfish, the volume needs to be increased in accordance with the number of fish.
Crayfish in blue
(Terax tenuimanus)
Crayfish in blue
Enormous crayfish. Grows to 40 cm in length; an aquarium 300 liters or larger is needed; when planted densely, they will kill the weakest individuals and exhibit aggressive behavior regardless of gender. Ideal temperature range: 21–23 degrees.
(Clarkinus procambarus)
America’s red swamp crayfish
Mexican native crayfish up to 12 cm in length. A 200-liter aquarium with lots of shelters is needed for a group of six crayfish (there must be one male, per strict rule). 23 to 28 degrees Celsius is the water’s temperature.
Blue Florine crayfish
(Alleni Procambarus)
Florine blue crayfish
These crayfish are highly territorial despite their small size; males can reach up to 8 cm in length, while females can reach up to 10 cm. Each pair of crayfish is housed in a roomy aquarium that holds 100 liters.
Orange dwarf crayfish
(Patzcuarensis, or Cambarellus)
Dwarf orange
A mature dwarf Mexican crayfish can grow to a size of 4 centimeters; in terms of size, this species is smaller than some large shrimp. Each group will have an aquarium with a volume of 50 liters and water that is 25–27 degrees.
Crayfish Type | Description |
---|---|
Red Claw Crayfish | Known for its bright red claws and adaptability. Great for beginners. |
Ghost Crayfish | Transparent and less aggressive. Ideal for community tanks. |
Blue Crayfish | Striking blue color. Can be territorial but visually stunning. |
Florida Crayfish | Colorful and hardy. Thrives in various water conditions. |
Electric Blue Crayfish | Vivid electric blue. Requires more care and a larger tank. |
Investigating the world of aquarium crayfish reveals a wide variety of intriguing species that can give your aquatic setup a distinctive touch. Every variety of crayfish adds something unique and endearing to the tank, from the vivid hues of the Red Claw Crayfish to the enormous size of the Giant White Crayfish. There is a crayfish that suits the requirements of your aquarium and your preferences, regardless of your level of experience with aquarium maintenance.
There’s more to selecting the ideal crayfish than just selecting a pretty face. Take into account their size, potential interactions with other tank occupants, and their particular habitat requirements. Make sure your crayfish will live in harmony with your fish and plants because some of them can be highly territorial or aggressive. You can improve the harmony and well-being of your aquarium by choosing your crayfish wisely and taking good care of them.
All things considered, aquarium crayfish are more than just fascinating pets—they actively contribute to the ecosystem in your tank. They are a rewarding addition to any aquarium because of their distinctive behaviors and eye-catching looks. Your crayfish can add a dynamic element to your aquatic world and thrive with proper care and attention.