Blue Lobster Skin Shed

[jpool10]

Hello

I have a quick question - is it better once the blue lobster (crayfish family) has shed to leave the skin in there for him to eat (is it nutritional for them) or is it best to take it out. I have had conflicting advice from keepers of the blue lobster and also people that run an aquarium shop.

Does anyone have any idea what is best for them.

With thanks
Jo

 

[nurglespuss]

Leave it in there for a few days, and if he doesn't consume it, then he doesn't need it (i.e. diet/environment is good enough that he doesn't need to reingest the calcium).

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Leave it in there for a few days, and if he doesn't consume it, then he doesn't need it (i.e. diet/environment is good enough that he doesn't need to reingest the calcium).

I agree; I wasn't sure I'd have said leave it but then I guess nurglepuss hit the nail on the head; leave it and see if he eats it.

How big is he? My LFS have them back in stock with a sign "can grow large" lol...I didn't realise they grew so big.

 

[jpool10]

Leave it in there for a few days, and if he doesn't consume it, then he doesn't need it (i.e. diet/environment is good enough that he doesn't need to reingest the calcium).

I agree; I wasn't sure I'd have said leave it but then I guess nurglepuss hit the nail on the head; leave it and see if he eats it.

How big is he? My LFS have them back in stock with a sign "can grow large" lol...I didn't realise they grew so big.

He must be a good couple of inches long by now - but is getting fatter and taller every shed. How big can they go? No one told me he could grow large!! We've had him for about 8 months now - I've already bought a bigger tank for him (2.5 foot tank - not sure of the literage).

Thanks again - you guys are a great help

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Leave it in there for a few days, and if he doesn't consume it, then he doesn't need it (i.e. diet/environment is good enough that he doesn't need to reingest the calcium).

I agree; I wasn't sure I'd have said leave it but then I guess nurglepuss hit the nail on the head; leave it and see if he eats it.

How big is he? My LFS have them back in stock with a sign "can grow large" lol...I didn't realise they grew so big.

He must be a good couple of inches long by now - but is getting fatter and taller every shed. How big can they go? No one told me he could grow large!! We've had him for about 8 months now - I've already bought a bigger tank for him (2.5 foot tank - not sure of the literage).

Thanks again - you guys are a great help

I don't know how big they get . Glad he is getting on well though

 

[nurglespuss]

On a good diet and in a well filtered aquarium they can get up to 8 inches.

 

[raptorrex]

Hello

I have a quick question - is it better once the blue lobster (crayfish family) has shed to leave the skin in there for him to eat (is it nutritional for them) or is it best to take it out. I have had conflicting advice from keepers of the blue lobster and also people that run an aquarium shop.

Does anyone have any idea what is best for them.

With thanks
Jo

it has no, real nutritional value, neither does it help with calcium. (cray don't eat calcium, they harvest it from the water).
what they are actually doing is, recovering the, organic frame, which holds the calcium in place. leave it till its gone (the claws will not be eaten) i have a nice collection of claws, charting the growth of my crays.
my cray has to race the pleco, to its moult.

 

[nurglespuss]

They can indeed harvest calcium from the shed exoskeleton, especially from the softer parts, its how they manage to proliforate in low calcium waters. The signal crayfish is a classic example that demonstrates this behaviour.

 

[raptorrex]

On a good diet and in a well filtered aquarium they can get up to 8 inches.

indeed so. and that's only nose to tail. add two or three inches for the claws and you can see, just, why Redclaws need a minimum of 20ukg tank.

 

[jpool10]

WOW thank you all for your help with this. He ate his skin - though not sure where the claws went to!! He's really loving being a lot bigger and stonking round the tank trying to tear up anything in his path - including the log that the crab used to sit on. Poor little thing now resides on the top of the filter and round the back of the filter where Bob can't get to!!

They both seem to be happy so will see what happens. Not sure what happens if he gets to 8" long - we'll have to get yet another bigger tank!! EEK!!!

Thanks to all again - you guys are so very friendly and helpful.

Jo

 

[england]

My odd looking cray has yet to molt, i dont know anything about these guys, do they stop molting at certain times or always,i mean when fully grown would they stop?

 

[raptorrex]

My odd looking cray has yet to molt, i dont know anything about these guys, do they stop molting at certain times or always,i mean when fully grown would they stop?

they never really get "fully" grown. so moults can be 12-18 months apart, but not often with short lived Redcalws.
you say odd looking, how so? and, any chance of a picture?

 

[england]

My odd looking cray has yet to molt, i dont know anything about these guys, do they stop molting at certain times or always,i mean when fully grown would they stop?

they never really get "fully" grown. so moults can be 12-18 months apart, but not often with short lived Redcalws.
you say odd looking, how so? and, any chance of a picture?

here he is...

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

haha he looks great

 

[raptorrex]

They can indeed harvest calcium from the shed exoskeleton, especially from the softer parts, its how they manage to proliforate in low calcium waters. The signal crayfish is a classic example that demonstrates this behaviour.

I beg to differ. especially as most of the calcium has been withdrawn, prior to the moult. I guess they could eat it, poop it out, then absorb it, via the water. but they have no, noted, calcium absorption, via food/stomach. extra calcium is only needed for any growth. as most is harvested back to the body. and at ph6.5 as a base, they dont need that harder water to thrive.