Calcium

[gm72]

As I get closer to setting up the 20 gallon long blue cray tank I am thinking about calcium. I have very soft water with very little calcium. Do you think dosing with calcium will be needed? I think it will and want to make sure I do things the right way.

[MCHRKiller]

I know that with most FW inverts they do like the calcium and extra minerals in the water. I probably wouldnt dose calcium, but would instead add some crushed coral to either the filter or the substrate(or heck both if you need it). Should keep your water in a more desireable range for these guys :22:

[gm72]

I have plenty of crushed coral but I also read that the crays like softer water so I want to make sure I do this the right way. You think running the coral it the better option? If so I wonder how much I should use?

[MCHRKiller]

A little bit of the crushed coral shouldnt effect you pH or hardness that much, like a small media bag tucked into a filter. It will add the calcium naturally but shouldnt be enough to really do much to your water parms otherwise.

[Red]

How low is your PH?

[gm72]

Usually runs about 7-7.4

[jaysee]

If you don't have any other predators, you can feed it ghost shrimp. The shells provide some nutrients. Also, make sure you leave the molted shell in the tank - it'll eat it once it's shell hardens. Crayfish also eat MTS, and IME once they know the snails are there, they dig up the substrate EVEN MORE.

On a side note, as a kid I always removed the shells and preserved them, so I could see how much bigger it got each time and so I had a...timeline. They would still live for a couple years (in the care of an ignorant fishkeeper).

There are some things that crays have very little tolerance for, but for the most part they are pretty bulletproof.