Just Bought A Cobalt Blue Crayfish,

[Jackiee]

I just purchased a male Blue Crayfish that's about 4 inches long for my 90 gallon aquarium.
His tank mates are a 5" Blood Parrot, a 7" Turquoise Severum, and a 9" Sailfin Leopard Pleco.

I know they are scavengers and eat about anything they come across but is there
a certain type of food I should be feeding them specifically? I bought some general
bottom feeder sinking wafers (not algae wafers) to feed him. I also have algae wafer's
that I feed my Pleco.

The food that I feed my blood parrot and severum floats so it never hits the bottom of the tank.

I have plenty of plants in my tank, and have small/medium sized gravel (i heard they like to burrow)
but I don't have any sand in the tank and wouldn't want him to hurt his legs trying to dig.

And pretty much just any other tips or advice about the creatures would be greatly appreciated as I
have never personally owned or cared for one before and I want to do it right.


Thanks

 

[Jackiee]

Don't know why two of the same forum was posted when I edited this one?

Here's the link to the full post:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/354926-just-bought-a-cobalt-blue-crayfish/page__p__2957121__fromsearch__1&#entry2957121

 

[Baccus]

I think that the type of crayfish that you are talking about is Native to Australia and usually called Crawtchies, yabbies or red claw depending on which part of Australia you are from and although the names are actually for different species many people use the names interchangably, therefore for the purpose of this reply I will endevour to call them Red Claw or RC. If it is the same species that I am thinking of then they really are not suited for tanks with bigger or smaller fish. Often bigger fish harrass the Red claw, nipping at legs and feelers while smaller fish are viewed as food (they will also eat any dead fish that die in the tank). Red Claws are great escape artists, even with plenty of and good hidey holes so make sure there are no gaps around your cover sheets and the sides of the tank. The will also destroy any/ all real plants that are growing in your tank and they do appreciate carrot, peas, water lily stems and most yabbie pots are baited with raw meat for them. They really are opertunistic feeders. Red Claws also have the potential to get HUGE, hence the Aussie traditon of going "yabbying" for a feed of them in many local waterways. Red Claw in Australia have actually become a bit of a pest species getting into new areas thanks to floods and people stocking them in dams, they get so big and wipe out populations of any smaller endemic species of yabbie. I once had a couple of Red Claw living in an old bath tub in the backyard and even with the water only half full, it was nothing for my Dad to come back inside before heading off to work to tell me the rotten things had escaped again and were walking down the gutter! And when I say huge I mean huge people have been catching Red Claws in some dams over 40cm

. Although I suspect in an aquarium they should stay smaller.
A beautiful creature for sure, but best keep it on its own.

 

[Jackiee]

I think that the type of crayfish that you are talking about is Native to Australia and usually called Crawtchies, yabbies or red claw depending on which part of Australia you are from and although the names are actually for different species many people use the names interchangably, therefore for the purpose of this reply I will endevour to call them Red Claw or RC. If it is the same species that I am thinking of then they really are not suited for tanks with bigger or smaller fish. Often bigger fish harrass the Red claw, nipping at legs and feelers while smaller fish are viewed as food (they will also eat any dead fish that die in the tank). Red Claws are great escape artists, even with plenty of and good hidey holes so make sure there are no gaps around your cover sheets and the sides of the tank. The will also destroy any/ all real plants that are growing in your tank and they do appreciate carrot, peas, water lily stems and most yabbie pots are baited with raw meat for them. They really are opertunistic feeders. Red Claws also have the potential to get HUGE, hence the Aussie traditon of going "yabbying" for a feed of them in many local waterways. Red Claw in Australia have actually become a bit of a pest species getting into new areas thanks to floods and people stocking them in dams, they get so big and wipe out populations of any smaller endemic species of yabbie. I once had a couple of Red Claw living in an old bath tub in the backyard and even with the water only half full, it was nothing for my Dad to come back inside before heading off to work to tell me the rotten things had escaped again and were walking down the gutter! And when I say huge I mean huge people have been catching Red Claws in some dams over 40cm

. Although I suspect in an aquarium they should stay smaller.
A beautiful creature for sure, but best keep it on its own.

This is exactly what I have:

We named him Gilbert.
I was told from the place I got him that his max size would be 7-8 inches, and my Blood parrot is always interested at him and pokes at him sometimes, but he puts his pinchers up and backs away
unharmed. Are there ANY plants that he will not mess with? I did actually want to plant my tank but was unaware these guys destroy all of them. Also, he always stays on the bottom of the tank, scavenging
with his little pinchers in between the rocks for food, and I don't have any plants or decorations tall enough that go near the top of the tank, but I've seen him propel himself backwards at a very fast speed,
can they do this to swim in open water and try to get out?

 

[raptorrex]

I just purchased a male Blue Crayfish that's about 4 inches long for my 90 gallon aquarium.
His tank mates are a 5" Blood Parrot, a 7" Turquoise Severum, and a 9" Sailfin Leopard Pleco.

I know they are scavengers and eat about anything they come across but is there
a certain type of food I should be feeding them specifically? I bought some general
bottom feeder sinking wafers (not algae wafers) to feed him. I also have algae wafer's
that I feed my Pleco.

The food that I feed my blood parrot and severum floats so it never hits the bottom of the tank.

I have plenty of plants in my tank, and have small/medium sized gravel (i heard they like to burrow)
but I don't have any sand in the tank and wouldn't want him to hurt his legs trying to dig.

And pretty much just any other tips or advice about the creatures would be greatly appreciated as I
have never personally owned or cared for one before and I want to do it right.


Thanks

contrary to other posts here, you have a North American P. Allani. first problem here is its a temperate Crayfish, so cant be kept in a tropical tank. doing so will be both aggravating and unhealthy for the cray, it may also cause it to attack your fish.

move it into a separate tank, and keep it in its correct environmenting. this may not be what you wanted, but then, perhaps you should have researched you stock before buy it???

 

[Jackiee]

I just purchased a male Blue Crayfish that's about 4 inches long for my 90 gallon aquarium.
His tank mates are a 5" Blood Parrot, a 7" Turquoise Severum, and a 9" Sailfin Leopard Pleco.

I know they are scavengers and eat about anything they come across but is there
a certain type of food I should be feeding them specifically? I bought some general
bottom feeder sinking wafers (not algae wafers) to feed him. I also have algae wafer's
that I feed my Pleco.

The food that I feed my blood parrot and severum floats so it never hits the bottom of the tank.

I have plenty of plants in my tank, and have small/medium sized gravel (i heard they like to burrow)
but I don't have any sand in the tank and wouldn't want him to hurt his legs trying to dig.

And pretty much just any other tips or advice about the creatures would be greatly appreciated as I
have never personally owned or cared for one before and I want to do it right.


Thanks

contrary to other posts here, you have a North American P. Allani. first problem here is its a temperate Crayfish, so cant be kept in a tropical tank. doing so will be both aggravating and unhealthy for the cray, it may also cause it to attack your fish.

move it into a separate tank, and keep it in its correct environmenting. this may not be what you wanted, but then, perhaps you should have researched you stock before buy it???

I did use my mobile internet on my phone to do some research about him before he was even bought at the pet store, because I didn't want to be COMPLETELY clueless,
and of the three-four different websites I visited about the crayfish, none of them said they couldn't be kept in a tropical tank, they said the exact opposite actually..

The type of information I was given about these guys on the internet was about their size, and that they typically only reach 5 inches, that they need at least 20 gallons of water
with medium to fine grain substrate since they like to burrow, and that they can be territorial to their own kind, but will be okay with other fish and typically will not bother them
unless you have smaller, slower moving fish that the crayfish could potentially catch, then it's not recommended.

Well, I met all of these requirements with my tank as I have a 90 gallon aquarium with plenty of room/hiding places, medium substrate, and larger faster fish.

 

[Jackiee]

I just purchased a male Blue Crayfish that's about 4 inches long for my 90 gallon aquarium.
His tank mates are a 5" Blood Parrot, a 7" Turquoise Severum, and a 9" Sailfin Leopard Pleco.

I know they are scavengers and eat about anything they come across but is there
a certain type of food I should be feeding them specifically? I bought some general
bottom feeder sinking wafers (not algae wafers) to feed him. I also have algae wafer's
that I feed my Pleco.

The food that I feed my blood parrot and severum floats so it never hits the bottom of the tank.

I have plenty of plants in my tank, and have small/medium sized gravel (i heard they like to burrow)
but I don't have any sand in the tank and wouldn't want him to hurt his legs trying to dig.

And pretty much just any other tips or advice about the creatures would be greatly appreciated as I
have never personally owned or cared for one before and I want to do it right.


Thanks

contrary to other posts here, you have a North American P. Allani. first problem here is its a temperate Crayfish, so cant be kept in a tropical tank. doing so will be both aggravating and unhealthy for the cray, it may also cause it to attack your fish.

move it into a separate tank, and keep it in its correct environmenting. this may not be what you wanted, but then, perhaps you should have researched you stock before buy it???

I did use my mobile internet on my phone to do some research about him before he was even bought at the pet store, because I didn't want to be COMPLETELY clueless,
and of the three-four different websites I visited about the crayfish, none of them said they couldn't be kept in a tropical tank, they said the exact opposite actually..

The type of information I was given about these guys on the internet was about their size, and that they typically only reach 5 inches, that they need at least 20 gallons of water
with medium to fine grain substrate since they like to burrow, and that they can be territorial to their own kind, but will be okay with other fish and typically will not bother them
unless you have smaller, slower moving fish that the crayfish could potentially catch, then it's not recommended.

Well, I met all of these requirements with my tank as I have a 90 gallon aquarium with plenty of room/hiding places, medium substrate, and larger faster fish.

**Edit: Also, sorry for the late response. I haven't been able to get on and respond to this post until now, and he's been in my tank for more than a week and is doing just fine it seems to me.
He's eating bottom feeder tablets every night, hanging out in his cave, coming out to forage around in my gravel, and gets along with all my fish.

 

[JamieMRatcliffe]

I've read the same, tropical around 5 inches and will catch slow fish.

 

[Davo86]

Do you have a pic? the Australian cherax is a tropical species and as said the American Allani Crayfish is a Cooler water species,

Not sure where you are in the world but only the Cherax is legal to own in the UK, as the coolwater american crays would survive in our colder climate. - And did in the 60s when one species was accidentally introduced and wiped out loads of native species

 

[Jackiee]

I live in the US, and here is a picture of him:

 

[raptorrex]

Do you have a pic? the Australian cherax is a tropical species and as said the American Allani Crayfish is a Cooler water species,

Not sure where you are in the world but only the Cherax is legal to own in the UK, as the coolwater american crays would survive in our colder climate. - And did in the 60s when one species was accidentally introduced and wiped out loads of native species

I've already given an id, davo, its P.Allani, a TEMPERATE crayfish. as such, not suited to a tropical tank.

as to the OP saying the researched the critter, who can they have? any research, worth the title, clearly Id's them a Temperate (going back to Huxleys book in the 1890's). the point isnt even arguable. there are no tropical crayfish, native to, North America. and the picture shows a, native, North American Crayfish.
this cray should/can not be kept in a tropical tank. anybody who does do so, is ignoring the well-being of the cray, for their own cruel ends. taking the reason for our site to exists, this practice cannot be condoned. its, at best, ignorant, and at worst, plain cruel. i understand a mistake, may, have been made. but to defend it, with erroneous, un truths, does not help.

Accept your error, and rehome the Crayfish.

i would like a link to the information used by the OP, its been a while since i read a good fairytale.

 

[Jackiee]

Do you have a pic? the Australian cherax is a tropical species and as said the American Allani Crayfish is a Cooler water species,

Not sure where you are in the world but only the Cherax is legal to own in the UK, as the coolwater american crays would survive in our colder climate. - And did in the 60s when one species was accidentally introduced and wiped out loads of native species

I've already given an id, davo, its P.Allani, a TEMPERATE crayfish. as such, not suited to a tropical tank.

as to the OP saying the researched the critter, who can they have? any research, worth the title, clearly Id's them a Temperate (going back to Huxleys book in the 1890's). the point isnt even arguable. there are no tropical crayfish, native to, North America. and the picture shows a, native, North American Crayfish.
this cray should/can not be kept in a tropical tank. anybody who does do so, is ignoring the well-being of the cray, for their own cruel ends. taking the reason for our site to exists, this practice cannot be condoned. its, at best, ignorant, and at worst, plain cruel. i understand a mistake, may, have been made. but to defend it, with erroneous, un truths, does not help.

Accept your error, and rehome the Crayfish.

i would like a link to the information used by the OP, its been a while since i read a good fairytale.

There's more than one link that I looked at about them. Here they are.
All of them say about the same information.
None of them say that they are not suited for tropical aquariums, or that they have to be kept by themselves,
so this is why I bought him. Look for yourself.

http/www.petfish.net/articles/Invertebrates/blue_crayfish.php

http/www.aquaticcommunity.com/crayfish/electricblue.php

http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=1075+1641&pcatid=1641&cmpid=13csegb&ref=6092&subref=AA&CAWELAID=560506357

Even this forum's thread about them say nothing about it:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/128872-hammers-cobalt-blue-lobster/

 

[raptorrex]

Do you have a pic? the Australian cherax is a tropical species and as said the American Allani Crayfish is a Cooler water species,

Not sure where you are in the world but only the Cherax is legal to own in the UK, as the coolwater american crays would survive in our colder climate. - And did in the 60s when one species was accidentally introduced and wiped out loads of native species

I've already given an id, davo, its P.Allani, a TEMPERATE crayfish. as such, not suited to a tropical tank.

as to the OP saying the researched the critter, who can they have? any research, worth the title, clearly Id's them a Temperate (going back to Huxleys book in the 1890's). the point isnt even arguable. there are no tropical crayfish, native to, North America. and the picture shows a, native, North American Crayfish.
this cray should/can not be kept in a tropical tank. anybody who does do so, is ignoring the well-being of the cray, for their own cruel ends. taking the reason for our site to exists, this practice cannot be condoned. its, at best, ignorant, and at worst, plain cruel. i understand a mistake, may, have been made. but to defend it, with erroneous, un truths, does not help.

Accept your error, and rehome the Crayfish.

i would like a link to the information used by the OP, its been a while since i read a good fairytale.

There's more than one link that I looked at about them. Here they are.
All of them say about the same information.
None of them say that they are not suited for tropical aquariums, or that they have to be kept by themselves,
so this is why I bought him. Look for yourself.

http/www.petfish.n...ue_crayfish.php

http/www.aquaticco...lectricblue.php

http/www.liveaquar...ELAID=560506357

Even this forum's thread about them say nothing about it:

http/www.fishforum...t-blue-lobster/

oh my god (thanks, real fairytale's)

the first link, isnt even the crayfish you have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats an Australian Redclaw ( Blue Lobster). I know the text id's it as a P allani, but the information given (habitat) is for the Redclaw. as, without a shadow of a doubt, is the picture. indeed the whole info is mixed up. so much so as to make it utterly useless for researching the critter.
whilst it has a, comparatively hight maximum living temperature of 72-4f. this is the MAXIMUM that it is found in. and those temps ar very low for most tropical fish, though not all i agree.
its minimum temperature gives away it temperate status, 60-65f.

ever wondered why these cray are known for aggression and escape? all animals, kept out of their comfort zones for a long period, get agitated. this leads to agression and a desperate search for escape. and will, eventually, lead to fish and cray deaths.

once again, you have a North American P.Allani, a temperate cray, your pictures prove that. Re-home the crayfish. it will be fine in a well filtered 10-20usg tank. which, incidentally, is how experienced cray enthusiasts do it. take a trip to www.crayfishmates.com. you will find people there with real knowledge and experience of theses critters. find the truth, not sales "bull" or misinformation.

 

[Jackiee]

Do you have a pic? the Australian cherax is a tropical species and as said the American Allani Crayfish is a Cooler water species,

Not sure where you are in the world but only the Cherax is legal to own in the UK, as the coolwater american crays would survive in our colder climate. - And did in the 60s when one species was accidentally introduced and wiped out loads of native species

I've already given an id, davo, its P.Allani, a TEMPERATE crayfish. as such, not suited to a tropical tank.

as to the OP saying the researched the critter, who can they have? any research, worth the title, clearly Id's them a Temperate (going back to Huxleys book in the 1890's). the point isnt even arguable. there are no tropical crayfish, native to, North America. and the picture shows a, native, North American Crayfish.
this cray should/can not be kept in a tropical tank. anybody who does do so, is ignoring the well-being of the cray, for their own cruel ends. taking the reason for our site to exists, this practice cannot be condoned. its, at best, ignorant, and at worst, plain cruel. i understand a mistake, may, have been made. but to defend it, with erroneous, un truths, does not help.

Accept your error, and rehome the Crayfish.

i would like a link to the information used by the OP, its been a while since i read a good fairytale.

There's more than one link that I looked at about them. Here they are.
All of them say about the same information.
None of them say that they are not suited for tropical aquariums, or that they have to be kept by themselves,
so this is why I bought him. Look for yourself.

http/www.petfish.n...ue_crayfish.php

http/www.aquaticco...lectricblue.php

http/www.liveaquar...ELAID=560506357

Even this forum's thread about them say nothing about it:

http/www.fishforum...t-blue-lobster/

oh my god (thanks, real fairytale's)

the first link, isnt even the crayfish you have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats an Australian Redclaw ( Blue Lobster). I know the text id's it as a P allani, but the information given (habitat) is for the Redclaw. as, without a shadow of a doubt, is the picture. indeed the whole info is mixed up. so much so as to make it utterly useless for researching the critter.
whilst it has a, comparatively hight maximum living temperature of 72-4f. this is the MAXIMUM that it is found in. and those temps ar very low for most tropical fish, though not all i agree.
its minimum temperature gives away it temperate status, 60-65f.

ever wondered why these cray are known for aggression and escape? all animals, kept out of their comfort zones for a long period, get agitated. this leads to agression and a desperate search for escape. and will, eventually, lead to fish and cray deaths.

once again, you have a North American P.Allani, a temperate cray, your pictures prove that. Re-home the crayfish. it will be fine in a well filtered 10-20usg tank. which, incidentally, is how experienced cray enthusiasts do it. take a trip to www.crayfishmates.com. you will find people there with real knowledge and experience of theses critters. find the truth, not sales "bull" or misinformation.

It's a shame
I was hoping on more reliable information!
Just goes to show you can't always trust the internet!
But even the LFS guy told me the same info, but if that's what they are researching also, no wonder why!

Thanks for the information though

 

[raptorrex]

Do you have a pic? the Australian cherax is a tropical species and as said the American Allani Crayfish is a Cooler water species,

Not sure where you are in the world but only the Cherax is legal to own in the UK, as the coolwater american crays would survive in our colder climate. - And did in the 60s when one species was accidentally introduced and wiped out loads of native species

I've already given an id, davo, its P.Allani, a TEMPERATE crayfish. as such, not suited to a tropical tank.

as to the OP saying the researched the critter, who can they have? any research, worth the title, clearly Id's them a Temperate (going back to Huxleys book in the 1890's). the point isnt even arguable. there are no tropical crayfish, native to, North America. and the picture shows a, native, North American Crayfish.
this cray should/can not be kept in a tropical tank. anybody who does do so, is ignoring the well-being of the cray, for their own cruel ends. taking the reason for our site to exists, this practice cannot be condoned. its, at best, ignorant, and at worst, plain cruel. i understand a mistake, may, have been made. but to defend it, with erroneous, un truths, does not help.

Accept your error, and rehome the Crayfish.

i would like a link to the information used by the OP, its been a while since i read a good fairytale.

There's more than one link that I looked at about them. Here they are.
All of them say about the same information.
None of them say that they are not suited for tropical aquariums, or that they have to be kept by themselves,
so this is why I bought him. Look for yourself.

http/www.petfish.n...ue_crayfish.php

http/www.aquaticco...lectricblue.php

http/www.liveaquar...ELAID=560506357

Even this forum's thread about them say nothing about it:

http/www.fishforum...t-blue-lobster/

oh my god (thanks, real fairytale's)

the first link, isnt even the crayfish you have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats an Australian Redclaw ( Blue Lobster). I know the text id's it as a P allani, but the information given (habitat) is for the Redclaw. as, without a shadow of a doubt, is the picture. indeed the whole info is mixed up. so much so as to make it utterly useless for researching the critter.
whilst it has a, comparatively hight maximum living temperature of 72-4f. this is the MAXIMUM that it is found in. and those temps ar very low for most tropical fish, though not all i agree.
its minimum temperature gives away it temperate status, 60-65f.

ever wondered why these cray are known for aggression and escape? all animals, kept out of their comfort zones for a long period, get agitated. this leads to agression and a desperate search for escape. and will, eventually, lead to fish and cray deaths.

once again, you have a North American P.Allani, a temperate cray, your pictures prove that. Re-home the crayfish. it will be fine in a well filtered 10-20usg tank. which, incidentally, is how experienced cray enthusiasts do it. take a trip to www.crayfishmates.com. you will find people there with real knowledge and experience of theses critters. find the truth, not sales "bull" or misinformation.

It's a shame
I was hoping on more reliable information!
Just goes to show you can't always trust the internet!
But even the LFS guy told me the same info, but if that's what they are researching also, no wonder why!

Thanks for the information though

you have reliable, and correct, information here. ignoring the fact, is up to you. though you would not accept any information that does not agree with yours. so there is little point going on. be warned though, if you peddle this view , here, it will be corrected.

you will, of course, do as you wish. pretending it is right, is another thing.

and i did not get my information from the internet. there is a little think called learning. you should try it some time!

I take it you didn't go to the site i listed?
if you did, am i to assume you say information from there is wrong too? if that is the case, you sir/madam, are a waste of time. both for me and this site. and a harmful one too.