Breeding crayfish

[William]

Question recieved through email. (published with consent)

need some information on crawfish. I have three in my 55 gallon tank. I have had them for about 6 months. They have had sex with each other at different times in this time period. All three have been very quiet lately. Meaning they have not been moving around the tank and doing the things they seem to be going normally. Today I noticed that one has eggs. What should I do? I have 6 silver dollars and one large green gourami. The crawfish and the other fish seem to not pay much attention to each other. Do you think that the fish will eat the fry? Will the crawfish protect the fry? Should I take the fry or the eggs out? Do you have any suggestions? I am not sure what to do?

Thanks for your time if you can answer any of these questions?

Thank you!

[William]

I expect the other fish to eat the young crayfish fry and no the crayfish will not protect their young.

I would recommend that you if possible but your female in another aquarium alone. Use water from theri normall tank. make sure to move her as gentle as possible. once she releases her young she should be removed since most if not all crayfish mothers eat their own young.

[Anonymous]

Take the crayfish thats pregnant and move her to an isolated tank where she will feel comfortable, clean water is very important or eggs will began to die and the bacteria spreads among the fellow egglings, hehe.... after you can see the baby crayfish walking around on her under belly, shake the babies, this might require a little more shaking, but eventually the young tire, and fall off. feed with fry bites, lettuce, algea, etc... good luck!!! keeping them all alive is up to you, they're are cannibals...

[Full3R]

Make sure that when u move the female into another tank to take sum of the water from the tank to start off with so that the water and tank change dont stress her out.
if the tempreture changes imediatley it can stress the female and she might neglect the eggs and drop them off her and it will kill the eggs.
also make sure that when the eggs hatch and are walking freely around the tank that there is no major water flow and no filters that the babies can can stuck in.
A good way to stop them from going down the filter is to put a stocking over the filter top.

BE SURE to keep the water WELL airated. good luck!!!

[Full3R]

My aussie blue yabby (crayfish) has eggs now just thought id let people know