Odd ball blue crayfish?

First off I'll state that I'm new to threads and the site, but I've been keeping aquariums for about a year now, successfully avoiding disease and other tank issues. My reason for this post is about my blue cray, who started my hobby. I have him in my 45g for the past 9 months or so, and I guess I am a little disappointed in him - compared to the threads of others with crays I'm reading.
He hides constantly, not coming out for 4-7 days to not seeing him for a few weeks if I provide him with a cave that allows him to shift in such a way that he can't be seen. When he does come out, occasionally he seems hungry so I'll throw in an algae chip that he'll work on for a while and then ditch. I understand he needs and desires a cave, yet he is very unterritorial and will even allow fish to rest their fins inside his claws. His behavior is simply the complete opposite of anything I read about others crayfish. He simply seems lazy, never to even attempt to climb plants or anything for possible crafty escape.
I'm pleased that his temperment doesn't cause fish deaths constantly, yet he is very unwilling to be amusing. It confuses me that he has only molted once in the year that I've had him, I've read that they molt more often than practically never. It seems like he is ready to burst out of his exoskeleton but he doesn't exhibit any typical molt behavior. Is it normal for him to go so long without any signs of an oncoming molt? Is it also normal for him to be so boring? Anything I can do to make my cray show me more of his personality? I appreciate any help thru suggestion, Thanks.

 

What temperature do you keep the tank at?

Do you have an airstone in the tank?

What's your pH?

How long do you keep the lights on?

If you could please fill out your aquarium info, that would be very helpful for members trying to assist you.

Welcome to the forum!

 

id add some cuttlebone. maybe hes .not getting enougb calcium.

 

Thanks for the tip, I filled in my profile a bit. I do want to find him some calcium in case that is an issue, do pet stores sell calcium tablets with other water supplements? can't say that i've seen them

 

I try and keep my temp at 77-79, the tank is heavily aerated, and I do weekly water changes of 30-40%. I use the lights quite a bit, but have always given him a cave. He used to be active at least a night, whether I saw him or not I could tell by the digging he would do around the cave to make it bigger but lately nothing much. He'll come out once a week and seem active, be out for 20 minutes and go back to hide for the next week

 

I think your temp might be too high. Have you recently changed it? They prefer 70-75 F.

They like pH of about 7.

How much larger than him is your shark? He might be intimidated by it as they cruise the same level of the tank.

You might want to try liquid calcium for him. They seem to do well with that.

 

No, I've always had the temperature in that range, I've read that they are very adaptable with temp but I will try to slowly decrease it a bit.. The shark is maybe 1.5" larger than him now but really only because the crayfish hasn't grown much at all since I got him. The personalities of the 2 seem to mesh very well, the shark will lay half into a cave that they share for literally hours with no appearances of tension.. I'm starting to guess Calcium would help - the other night he was somewhat active, then flipped on his back like he was going to molt, slowly moving, almost thought he was dead.. within 5 minutes he got back up and acted like it had never happened he's so goofy.

 

My crayfish always flips on his back when the tank is too hot, it's something to do with increasing the surface area exposed to the current, kind of like facing into the breeze. Wedging an ice pack under the spray bar always perks him up again, so I'd say that decreasing the temp should be your first plan of attack.

 

I never knew that, I understand the tank is too warm for him right now, I currently have the temperature raised to get rid of some Ich