Adopting a crayfish, need help!

[tropfish]

Well, my neighbor has to get rid of his crayfish b/c he doesn't take care of it, so he asked me to take it. I said that i didn't really have the room and he said, "ok, i'll just let it go in the stream" so i said on second thought i'd jsut take it. Right now i can move him into the 5g which i know is a little too small, but i plan to keep it very clean and so far i've crayfish proofed it. But i have some questions:
-Do they need a heater?
-can they swim or will they just crawl?
-and any other information or tips you can give me will help greatly.

Also, he said it was a regular brown crayfish, so i'm guessing it's just the kind you find in streams and stuff, petsplus near us sells them, which don't need heaters, but i wanted to check.

Here's the picks of the setup and how i crayfish proofed it.
First, i plastic wrapped the top, cut a hole for the filter, and cut a hole for the light and instead put some mesh from an extra aquarium net over that so the palstic wouldn't burn. Also, i took a piece from the same net and hot glued it over the opening of the filter uptake, instead of having the strainer, because it was to long and he was gonna climb up it. For decorations i put half a pot in, one small plastic plant, and two peices of lava rock.

Hopefully this setup will be fine for now.

[OscarFan]

- They dont need a heater
- they can swim
- And they will get out any way they can.

[OscarFan]

Oh and they will eat anything But they prefer snails. So if you have a snail infested tank then you should throw a couple hundred in their. If you dont have a snail infested tank then you can buy a few Mystery snails and throw them in their. They are als scavengers so if you fish keep one every once and a while and just cut a piece off and throw it in the every once in a while.

[tropfish]

k, thanks for the tips oscarfan

[shockshockshad]

They need AT LEAST a 10 gallon, 15-20 is better. They need VERY GOOD filteration, and should be fed any fish food, preferably sinking pellets. They will climb anything they can to get out.They like to hide, so have many caves and rocks.

[tropfish]

I no it's not the best size, but a 5g is better then releasing it into our stream. I'll move it up to a larger tank when i can.

[squirt_12]

Also...they should have vegtable matter in their diet. So like veggie rounds...they may eat some form of normal veggies. They may not eat veggies but thats ok.
ALSO...you should try to feed it something so that it gets calcium for its outer shell. I recommend Hikari Crab Cuisine (http://www.hikari.info/tropical/t_12.html) for that.

Also...LEAVE the shell in the tank when they molt. They will eat it to get the calcium out of it.

I second moving it to a 10g in the near future.

[tropfish]

thanks squirt, good tips. I know, i really hope i can have a 10g in order soon, but for right now i'd rather him be in a 5g then a stream.

[Levi]

i feed my cray hikari algae wafers and hikari sinking wafers and the occasional goldfish crisp or a shred of blanched spinach, but they can eat almost anything (don't take a nap in a crayfish pond)

make sure it has a cave or two to hide in, and plan on getting a 20-30 gallon tank in the future, they can get BIG if well cared-for

handling them can be a little hazardous when they get bigger than a few inches

they are smart and have lots of personality for invertebrates

have fun :)

[smaug]

My wife kept one for 4 years in a 5 gal in her class room.It did fine.She fed it goldfish flakes.They cant climb a smooth glass/acrylic tank wall.

[Levi]

My wife kept one for 4 years in a 5 gal in her class room.It did fine.She fed it goldfish flakes.They cant climb a smooth glass/acrylic tank wall.

people also keep goldfish in bowls, but it's bad for their health and well-being

[Billythefish]

Hay, i see you have a 55g cichlid tank why dont you put it in that? I had one befor and it done ok with bp's convics severum! Just make a place for it to hide and it will be fine. I used to give my one peas!

[smaug]

people also keep goldfish in bowls, but it's bad for their health and well-being
:19::19: :19:

[smaug]

Hay, i see you have a 55g cichlid tank why dont you put it in that? I had one befor and it done ok with bp's convics severum! Just make a place for it to hide and it will be fine. I used to give my one peas!
thats a good idea I missed that.

[Levi]

there's also a message board exclusively for crays

crayfishmates.com

very slow-moving board, but there are some knowledgeable folks there

[tropfish]

if i put it in the 55g, wouldn't it mess with my raphael and featherfin catfish?

[cocoa_pleco]

i had one in a 33g community tank 5 years ago and all he did was chase my slower fish, he should be fine in your 55g

[smaug]

if i put it in the 55g, wouldn't it mess with my raphael and featherfin catfish?
thats a good question,yeah he probably would.Sounds like its back in the little tank:c11:

[cocoa_pleco]

or this might sound stupid but why not get a 55g divider and just divide a tiny section of the 55g for the cray, like only 5g or so until you get a bigger tank? that way he gets room and clean water

[smaug]

Have you ever seen the filth they live in in the wild?A clean 5gal tank is very good for a small to med size cray.Just keep the water clean and the substrate vacd.They are very undemanding of water quality.He will have no troubles in the 5gal.

[Levi]

i wouldn't put him in the community tank, there's a chance he will catch your fish or chase them while they are trying to sleep

crays are also very vulnerable when they moult, and have a good chance of getting injured or eaten while their shell is soft


yes, they are tough, and will tolerate poor water conditions and cramped quarters, kind of like goldfish or bettas

and like goldfish, they deserve better, and shouldn't be mistreated just because they are tough

it effects their health in the long run

a dog can survive being kept in a small room all it's life, but it's cruel