|
Crayfish are one of the most underrated animals you can add to an aquarium as a pet. They are similar to lobsters and fun to watch as well as easy to take care of.
Crayfish are great aquarium pets. They are kind of like hermit crabs in a way but more out in the open over the course of a day and more interesting to watch. Here are some tips on how to buy them and take care of them:
Q: How do I get a crayfish for an aquarium as a pet?
A: There are many ways. You can buy a typical crayfish at a pet store in most cases for around a dollar to four dollars, somewhere in that range. Most aquarium/tropical fish places have the usual red ones but other colors and breeds can be found.
Blue crayfish are popular and can be found at www.bluecrayfish.com or on aquabids.com which is like an EBay for freshwater aquarium owners and fish lovers.
Catching crayfish is also popular.
Q: What's the best way to catch a crayfish?
A: Go to a freshwater lake or stream that has a lot of rocks. Start flipping over the rocks and you should see some commotion. Crayfish will be down there looking for shelter. They go slowly but then rocket away when they are threatened. Place a small net behind them and poke them so they rocket backward into the net.
To transport them, keep them in a bucket of water that is filled only slightly over their heads. Large amounts of water will cause the crayfish to die due to lack of oxygen.
Q: How much care do crayfish need in an aquarium as a pet?
A: Not a whole lot. Feed them shrimp pellets, live or frozen bloodworms, or even things like carrots and lettuce as snacks.
Q: Why do crayfish make good pets?
A: They're fun to watch. They remind people a lot of lobsters which kids love to look at in aquariums and at seafood restaurants, only they are smaller. And they're a lot more interesting than fish that swim around in circles all day.
Q: Are crayfish tasty to eat?
A: Many people in Lousiana and other Southern states find them a delicacy but other people think they're better off as aquarium pets. The choice is yours.
Q: How big do crayfish get?
A: Most common ones are around 3-4 inches but they can get much bigger out in the wild in deep lakes such as the Great Lakes.
Q: Will they hurt the fish in my aquarium?
A: Crayfish are mainly scavengers. They will attack low, slow-moving fish in your aquarium but most of the time they are unsuccessful. When a fish gets wounded in any way, a crayfish will usually take advantage of that situation and eat it, however.
The copyright of the article Guide to Crayfish as Aquarium Pets in Aquariums is owned by Nick Meyer. Permission to republish Guide to Crayfish as Aquarium Pets in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Aug 23, 2008 9:38 PM
Guest
:
finally i learned some facts because me and my friends cought 4 crayfish.
Sep 23, 2008 6:00 AM
Guest
:
Oct 17, 2008 5:55 PM
Guest
:
I have a Rusty crayfish and it eat's ANYTHING! As for fish i have it now w/
Minnow;s and it don't get them i don't even see it try much, it know's
their too fast i guess?
Nov 22, 2008 7:47 PM
Guest
:
Cray fish are underrated. I had never heard of them as pets until today
when i bought one for my aquarium. My parents don't let me have a aquarium
above 5 gallons so when my Betta died, i got a Crayfish. In my opinion they
are two times as exciting as fish. You can get them out of the water for a
few minutes to play with them, and they are fun to watch in a smaller
aquarium.Just watch the pinchers!!! Hold crayfish right behind their first
swimmeret. They will be pretty docile when held like this. Enjoy!
Nov 22, 2008 7:48 PM
Guest
:
Cray fish are underrated. I had never heard of them as pets until today
when i bought one for my aquarium. My parents don't let me have a aquarium
above 5 gallons so when my Betta died, i got a Crayfish. In my opinion they
are two times as exciting as fish. You can get them out of the water for a
few minutes to play with them, and they are fun to watch in a smaller
aquarium.Just watch the pinchers!!! Hold crayfish right behind their first
swimmeret. They will be pretty docile when held like this. Enjoy!
Jan 5, 2009 7:49 AM
Guest
:
I think crayfish are a great pet too. We got one for my daughter for her
birthday 3 weeks ago and he is very interesting and curious. He likes to
watch us when we come to watch him and it even seems like he sits up and
begs for food.
Jan 10, 2009 4:55 PM
Guest
:
doesn't get the fish? My crawdaddy must be on steroids then. I've lost
count of how many fish I've lost to the little bastard, but it's in the
double digits. He's molted a couple times since I bought him and he always
eats his exoskeleton. He is the most active and interesting aquatic pet I
have ever had. Crawdads are AWESOME!!!
Feb 20, 2009 10:28 PM
Nick Meyer
:
check out the forum for www.bluecrayfish.com they are very knowledgeable
over there one guy is a farmer of crayfish
Feb 20, 2009 10:28 PM
Nick Meyer
:
check out the forum for www.bluecrayfish.com they are very knowledgeable
over there one guy is a farmer of crayfish
Feb 20, 2009 10:28 PM
Nick Meyer
:
check out the forum for www.bluecrayfish.com they are very knowledgeable
over there one guy is a farmer of crayfish
Apr 7, 2009 8:34 PM
Nick Meyer
:
hard to say about the betas, i havent ever had them. watch them for a
little while and see how close they come to the bottom and how fast they
can accelerate. most crayfish aren't that fast and can only catch the
slow-moving bottom dwellers. it'd be risky but it's worth a try i think
Apr 16, 2009 5:24 AM
Guest
:
Oh, I would NEVER put a crayfish in the same tank as a betta. Bettas are
too slow moving to avoid the cray for very long. Besides, bettas like to
rest on plants and such at night. Easy target for a nocturnal predator
like a crayfish.
May 18, 2009 4:09 PM
Guest
:
Can you put them with something simple like a goldfish?
May 31, 2009 3:14 PM
Guest
:
lol I have three crayfish ... shall i say had three crayfish these guys are
veracious eaters and they love to eat minnows if you have your aquarium
shallow and you have rocks and minnows as well as your plants than you are
set. Watch them hunt the minnows it is fascinating. They may be omnivorous
but they are quite agile predators and mine at least seem to prefer meat
and they like to catch it themselves they also will quickly clear your
aquarium of nuisance snails. However make sure your aquarium is stocked
well as My large crayfish cannibalized one of the others. I believe it was
another male. I find two to be doing quite well in a 30G aquarium half full
but they eat the snails and the minnows they have left all plants alone and
don't seem at all interested in algae or shrimp pellets that sink to the
bottom though the minnows love those. Beta will not last long with these
guys they move quite quickly when they see something they want.
14 Comments
|
