Crayfish

[beesnees]

just got a crayfish of one of my friends. He's a funny character loves to move plants around my tank, and climb around great to watch. anyway i was told he fed it raw potatos and carrots wasn't quite sure how true this was so currently feeding him on blood worm. wot else could i feed him on to keep him so happy. thanx in advance

 

[Ranger]

It will pretty much eat any kind of food you put into the tank as long as it makes it to the bottom... Beware, small fish will also by eaten by these little fella's.

 

[fishfishfish]

bloodworm or anything else meaty will keep a cray happy and healthy.

 

[CFC]

Crayfish are omnivors that are scavengers and oppertunist carnivors, a varied diet of vegetable and meaty foods is required to keep them healthy, carrots, peas and lettuce will all be eaten and should be the bulk of the diet with small pieces of fish or shrimp (prawns) offered once or twice a week, high protein meaty foods pollute the water rapidly with messy eaters like crayfish so are best kept to a minimum.

 

[mr williams]

I feel I should also add that they will escape if you give them the samllest oppourtunity. Mine clibed the airline and made it halfway across the living room.

 

[beesnees]

thanks all.

 

[raptorrex]

high protein meaty foods pollute the water rapidly with messy eaters like crayfish so are best kept to a minimum.

this worry's me! i feed my fish and Cray fresh chicken on a regular basis, i remove the fat film from the surface of the tank, but was wondering how the water pollution, is exhibited? my tank seems fine, smells and looks good. i would really like your input on this subject.

 

[three-fingers]

I think it would just be the stats that would be bad? If they were very bad though you would probably know about it without testing the water.
I dont know about chicken, but i feed my fish prawn quite often and i'm scared that a bit may get droped into the plants where it cant be eaten by the fish and pollute the water, is an ammonia spike the only way to detect this?
Also, is it safe to feed inverts chicken boboboy? All i know is that it can be dangerous for fish and land animal protiens should be avoided. But if thats not the case for inverts i'm sure my triops would probably appreciate some chicken every now and then .

 

[Ranger]

I feel I should also add that they will escape if you give them the samllest oppourtunity. Mine clibed the airline and made it halfway across the living room.

I concur... when i used to keep them I had a massive one who escaped, made it out my room, down my stairs and hid under my computer desk until he crawled on my foot. He was barely alive, but he made it back to the tank.

 

[beesnees]

my is probbly about 10'' now not sure if you would class that large, but he is constantly trying to escape up my air line not quite manage to get out yet but lers still time . hope he doesnt tho because he would deffintly give my girl friend a frieght. i keep calling it a male, but how can it tell its sex is there an esy way to do this

 

[CFC]

Pollution from high protein foods will show itself in the form of higher nitrates (bad for inverts) and the pH dropping to acidic levels as organic acids released from the food break down the calcium buffers that stabilise the waters pH, again very bad for inverts as it softens the shell. To combat this people who keep perdatory fish do regular water changes between 30 and 50% depending on the size or numbers of animals and tank size.

Chicken is fine to feed as an occasional treat but i would offer it no more than once every two weeks. With any animal it is best to try and replicate their wild diet to the best of your ability. Crayfish are aquatic scavengers/predators so put yourself at the bottom of the river where they live and think what you would find there, lots of vegetable matter, small aquatic larvae and other inverts in the substrate (bloodworm, snails, small shrimps etc), the occasional dead fish and very occasionally the carcass of a dead aquatic bird or mammal.

 

[raptorrex]

Pollution from high protein foods will show itself in the form of higher nitrates (bad for inverts) and the pH dropping to acidic levels as organic acids released from the food break down the calcium buffers that stabilise the waters pH, again very bad for inverts as it softens the shell. To combat this people who keep perdatory fish do regular water changes between 30 and 50% depending on the size or numbers of animals and tank size.

Chicken is fine to feed as an occasional treat but i would offer it no more than once every two weeks. With any animal it is best to try and replicate their wild diet to the best of your ability. Crayfish are aquatic scavengers/predators so put yourself at the bottom of the river where they live and think what you would find there, lots of vegetable matter, small aquatic larvae and other inverts in the substrate (bloodworm, snails, small shrimps etc), the occasional dead fish and very occasionally the carcass of a dead aquatic bird or mammal.

Thank you for the reply. recently i have found a practical, only one meter tall, fresh water skimmer. would this help, indeed, providing it works as stated, is there any point in one with a fresh water setup. I am fully aware of the problems making a fw skimmer, but believe this to genuine. again your advice would be welcome.