Questions about crayfish

[flopperfrog]

hi! i want to get a crayfish in the future (might be a few months, might be years haha) so i wanted to get some stuff straight. ill just be listing questions, and i can look back at them when i decide to get one

1. is there any actual different between a crayfish and a crawfish?
2. in your opinion, what is the best crayfish for beginners
3. is it common to have crayfishes that have complications while molting and is there anything you can do to make sure that doesnt happen?
4. is there any crayfish that can be comfortably kept in a 5 gallon?
5. what are some good food options for crayfish
6. how much do care requirements vary between different crayfishes? is there a common 2 way like neocardinia and cardinia with shrimp?
7. how can you tell a crayfish is happy?
8. how intelligent are they?
9. is it okay to keep a crayfish by itself? are they social in anyway
10. how often should you be feeding crayfish?
11. how sensitive are they? does it depend on the species?
12. is it true that sometimes they'll just miss a leg when they molt and grow it back?
13. are plants good for crayfish? if so, what are some ones you recommend that are easy to care for?
14. water temp for crayfish?
15. do they only stay on the bottom or do they often go around the whole tank?
16. how long do they live? does it vary by species
17. gh & kh?
18. is it better to keep them alone with none of their own species, tank mates etc, or do they not care?
19. do crayfish have individual personalities like bettas
20. ph?
21. nitrate levels?
22. what are some common illness and best treatments?
23. how often should you feed them?
24. in your opinion, what is the best crayfish
25. if you breed different colors together, will they mix? or will they just be wild type?
26. how long do crayfish live
27. how well do they get along with tank mates like fish, shrimp, other crayfish
28. info on mating process?
any extra things you wanna say/ advice on keeping them or just opinions you have about them

thats all, also if you can please number the answers like i did with the questions so its more orderly
btw if you wanna answer just 1 question id appreciate that too
thanks so much in advance!

 

[BigManAquatics]

The only one i can answer is number 1. No. The name is rather regional. We call them "crawdads" here.

 

[The_fishy]

You have quite the list! I’m going to take a second to format everything and then I will respond.

1. is there any actual different between a crayfish and a crawfish?

Nope, it's just a regional difference, sort of like saying pop instead of soda or buggy instead of cart.

2. in your opinion, what is the best crayfish for beginners

I would go for a species in the Procambarus genus (P. clarkii, P. alleni, etc) if you want a more standard sized species, Cambarellus patzcuarensis (Mexican dwarf crayfish) if you want something small.

3. is it common to have crayfishes that have complications while molting and is there anything you can do to make sure that doesnt happen?

It tends to happen eventually, usually as they age. The molting process is very strenuous for them.

4. is there any crayfish that can be comfortably kept in a 5 gallon?

Only the dwarf species, such as the Mexican dwarf crayfish, Alabama dwarf crayfish, Cajun dwarf crayfish, and Brazos dwarf crayfish. With more of your standard-sized crayfish, a 30 gallon is ideal.

5. what are some good food options for crayfish

I like to feed a mix of fresh produce (lettuce, spinach, cucumber, zucchini, watermelon, carrots, plant trimmings from other tanks), algae wafers, snail/invertebrate pellets, and sinking carnivore wafers. They will eat pretty much anything organic, even almond leaves and driftwood, but I would avoid citrus. Sometimes a small chunk of fish or a worm is a nice treat, but they tend to eat more plant matter than protein as they age.

6. how much do care requirements vary between different crayfishes? is there a common 2 way like neocardinia and cardinia with shrimp?

Procambarus species prefer cooler temperatures (65F to 76F), while Cherax species like it warmer (68F to 85F). Both do well at the same pH and kH.

7. how can you tell a crayfish is happy?

I would probably have to say when they come out to beg for food and casually wave their antennae.

8. how intelligent are they?

They are experts at escaping tanks with gaps in the lid and have the ability to learn. Mine will let me touch them with the siphon or scoop them with a neck and not care.

9. is it okay to keep a crayfish by itself? are they social in anyway

Most prefer to be by themselves, as they are territorial and will attempt to drive out rivals. Some species, such as marmorkrebs and some of the dwarfs are a little more tolerant, but I still wouldn't consider them gregarious.

10. how often should you be feeding crayfish?

I feed some sort of pellet daily and offer produce ad libitum, removing it if it starts to break down.

11. how sensitive are they? does it depend on the species?

Generally, they are tolerant for being invertebrates, which is helpful because they are very messy eaters and have high waste output. I would still treat them with the same care as shrimp; just because a particular species might be able to live in bad conditions doesn't mean it should.

12. is it true that sometimes they'll just miss a leg when they molt and grow it back?

Yup!

13. are plants good for crayfish? if so, what are some ones you recommend that are easy to care for?

Dwarf crayfish like the Mexican dwarf are usually okay with plants. Some easy ones are Amazon swords, anubias, crypts, val, water spangles, java ferns, and java moss. Other species of crayfish are hit or miss with plants, many will find a way to devour even floating ones.

14. water temp for crayfish?

It depends on the species, see above.

15. do they only stay on the bottom or do they often go around the whole tank?

They only swim as a backwards evasive maneuver, so you will see them walking along the bottom and climbing around on any objects in the tank. A crayfish will also claim a cave or two and can be seen hanging out in the entrance when not wandering around or prepping to molt.

16. how long do they live? does it vary by species

Yes, it varies by species.

17. gh & kh?

Around 6 to 15dkH should be good.

18. is it better to keep them alone with none of their own species, tank mates etc, or do they not care?

I would keep them alone and be cautious with tankmates. Crayfish will hunt even healthy, fast-moving fish while those fish are sleeping. Dwarf species are a little better with fish, but you may see the occasional torn fin or missing eye if you have a more aggressive individual. For species of standard size, fast fish that are a size similar to the crayfish tend to fare a little better (I have giant danios with marmorkrebs), but then you have to worry about whether the fish will hurt the crayfish while or after it molts. Generally, I hesitate to recommend tankmates with the larger crayfish.

19. do crayfish have individual personalities like bettas

Yes! Some are very interactive and will let you hand feed or even hold them. Others are a little bit shy, but will let you watch them eat. More aggressive or confident ones will raise their claws to challenge you.

20. ph?

Generally 6.0 to 8.0.

21. nitrate levels?

Possibly up to 40ppm, but I would avoid this.

22. what are some common illness and best treatments?

-Crayfish Plague
Highly contagious and incurable. It is an oomycete obtained in infected waterways that will coat the crayfish, gradually paralyze it and prompt it to be very active in daylight.

-Shell Rot
Infection in an injury possibly elevated by stress, can be fixed when the crayfish next molts. Treat with 10-15 minute aquarium salt baths (1tsp per 1 cup water) in a separate container. Lavamisole HCL may also be useful in severe cases.

Avoid copper, as it is toxic to invertebrates.

23. how often should you feed them?

Once a day is good. They are also fine with a fast day or two.

24. in your opinion, what is the best crayfish

I love marmorkrebs (Procambarus virginalis), but I am also biased because I did my thesis project on them. They are an all-female, parthenogenetic species. Let me know if you would like pictures!

25. if you breed different colors together, will they mix? or will they just be wild type?

Like any animal, whatever is dominant in the genes will be what you are more likely to see.

26. how long do crayfish live

Anywhere from 2 to 6 depending on the species, possibly longer.

27. how well do they get along with tank mates like fish, shrimp, other crayfish

See above.

28. info on mating process?

In species that reproduce with a male and a female, the male will pin the female on her back by grabbing her claws.

any extra things you wanna say/ advice on keeping them or just opinions you have about them

Make sure every possible hole in the tank is covered! They are experts at escaping. I would also aim to have a high amount of filtration. Also, a crayfish will typically go off of food and hide for a few days before and after molting, so no need to be alarmed if you see this. You can leave the molt in with them so they can eat it as a source of calcium.

 

[Lobstermom]

hi! i want to get a crayfish in the future (might be a few months, might be years haha) so i wanted to get some stuff straight. ill just be listing questions, and i can look back at them when i decide to get one

1. is there any actual different between a crayfish and a crawfish?
2. in your opinion, what is the best crayfish for beginners
3. is it common to have crayfishes that have complications while molting and is there anything you can do to make sure that doesnt happen?
4. is there any crayfish that can be comfortably kept in a 5 gallon?
5. what are some good food options for crayfish
6. how much do care requirements vary between different crayfishes? is there a common 2 way like neocardinia and cardinia with shrimp?
7. how can you tell a crayfish is happy?
8. how intelligent are they?
9. is it okay to keep a crayfish by itself? are they social in anyway
10. how often should you be feeding crayfish?
11. how sensitive are they? does it depend on the species?
12. is it true that sometimes they'll just miss a leg when they molt and grow it back?
13. are plants good for crayfish? if so, what are some ones you recommend that are easy to care for?
14. water temp for crayfish?
15. do they only stay on the bottom or do they often go around the whole tank?
16. how long do they live? does it vary by species
17. gh & kh?
18. is it better to keep them alone with none of their own species, tank mates etc, or do they not care?
19. do crayfish have individual personalities like bettas
20. ph?
21. nitrate levels?
22. what are some common illness and best treatments?
23. how often should you feed them?
24. in your opinion, what is the best crayfish
25. if you breed different colors together, will they mix? or will they just be wild type?
26. how long do crayfish live
27. how well do they get along with tank mates like fish, shrimp, other crayfish
28. info on mating process?
any extra things you wanna say/ advice on keeping them or just opinions you have about them

thats all, also if you can please number the answers like i did with the questions so its more orderly
btw if you wanna answer just 1 question id appreciate that too
thanks so much in advance!

I am totally new to crayfish (a male, Hannibal; female, Clarice). Wondering what my 5-in-1 EasyStrips should read, i.e., nitrate, hardness (I do know hard is good), pH, nitrite, and alkalinity? I also have an ammonia test, and if I understand this, it should be ZERO? My two are currently in a 10-gallon tank, will be rehoming to a 20-gallon once the parameters are right. Thanks, whoever knows this! Oh, also ... what to do with rocks, decor, driftwood, etc. gotten from pet stores re: cleaning (I know no soap) before installing?