mustangblue01

I have had my blue lobster for about a month or so. He was blue when I got him. He has molted twice since I've had him and isn't blue anymore. Right now, he's more brown with a bit of a blue belly. Anyone have a clue why he isn't blue?

Is there something special that blue lobsters need to eat to gain thier blue color?

lilsoccakid

the only thing i can think of it feeding a variety of different foods

some1 else can help more probably

mustangblue01

I have started feeding with the TetraMin crisps. He has picked up some color in the last few days. I've been reading that their color can sometimes change with when mating or due to stress. He seems much more active in the last few days so I suppose he might have been stressed a little before. I dunno?

Thanks for the tip.

mustangblue01

Just a follow up. The cray while not blue at all like he was ahs changed to a nice dark purple-brown color. Go figure

hockeyref88

My cray molted twice in the first 3 weeks I had him and hasn't since (about 5 months now).I've done a little research on this dude. Mine is still blue but the norm for this cray fish is a dull brown. Many speices of crayfish can be found in blue color morphs. The blue color is caused by a genetic abnormality. This type of crayfish is now comercially raised on fish farms.


Rick

TheEssigs

I know some fish change color depending on surronding... some get more vibrant with darker substrate, while others pale with lighter substrate... goldfish are notorious for this... maybe it comes into play with crays as well?

mustangblue01

I still just don't get why he was blue when I got him and not blue now. As time passes after he molts, he underside gets a lighter and his smaller claws get blue along with his legs. His large claws and body remain brown.

btw, he just molted again. that makes 3 times in 2 months that he has molted. he seems happy.

It could very well be the environment of my tank, but I am still considering the food as a possibility. Most fish food available now has "color enhaners" added to them. I'm wondering if that has had the effect of enhancing the brown color?

hockeyref88

I'm not sure how or what your feeding him but I feed mine algae tabs. I use my long grabbers and set the tablet right in front of him and he snatches it up. If I don't do it that way, I have other fish in there that will scarf the tabs. He is as healthy as can be.

mustangblue01

I just bought some HBH SuperSoft spirulina pellets and have started to feed those into the tank just before I turn the light off for the night. That should have the same effect as the algea discs. My cray doesn't really come out until I turn the light off. I think I'm going to replace some of my light colored substrate with some black gravel. I think the lighter color makes it too bright in the tank and that bothers the fish. My barbs don't seem to care, but my Labidochromis and the cray hide most of the time while the light is on.

Brat2b4u

Last night my blue crayfish died. He usuallly hid in a tree stump and would bury himself there and was quite active when food arrived. Suddenly the past few days I hadn't seen much of him and then the small pleco I have started going into his stump.

Could the pleco have caused him harm? He never did go back in stump.

What about moulting? I had never seen him moult and he was in this tank for over 6 months?

So many questions ... can anyone help?

mustangblue01

I don't have a pleco so I do not know what they are capable of. I wouldn't think the pleco would do harm from what I have heard, though.

I should think that he would have moulted in 6 months time. What kind of substrate do you have? I do know that if the cray can not get out of it's shell, it can die. My substrate is coarse, so it is easy for my cray to molt.