Pet Crayfish

[FlamingSwampert]

I've been seeing some people I follow on Instagram post pictures of their pet crayfish, and I've read about people keeping them in books and on the internet. They seem to be fairly simple, just with the added difficulty of maintaining a fish tank (though I've seen people keep them in Sterilite bins filled with water using a small filter/bubbler). What're they like? Are they enjoyable pets?

As always, thanks everyone!

 

[SpookySpooder]

I've kept a few different species. They are active scavengers that will rearrange the enclosure constantly and consume anything they can find. They'll also actively hunt smaller animals and catch fish sometimes.
Their care is fairly simple, as they are quite hardy, can tolerate a wide variety of water conditions, and eat whatever.
I always kept them in tanks. Though a bin sounds like it would work. I seriously doubt they would care what they're in.

I particularly like the pink and white ones, but I've also kept the blue ones. I raised the craydad out of a boil bag a couple times, kinda like pardoning a turkey. The biggest one I kept was a different species I fished out of a creek. That one measured almost 8" from nose to tail and liked eating fingers.

 

[FlamingSwampert]

I've kept a few different species. They are active scavengers that will rearrange the enclosure constantly and consume anything they can find. They'll also actively hunt smaller animals and catch fish sometimes.
Their care is fairly simple, as they are quite hardy, can tolerate a wide variety of water conditions, and eat whatever.
I always kept them in tanks. Though a bin sounds like it would work. I seriously doubt they would care what they're in.

I particularly like the pink and white ones, but I've also kept the blue ones. I raised the craydad out of a boil bag a couple times, kinda like pardoning a turkey. The biggest one I kept was a different species I fished out of a creek. That one measured almost 8" from nose to tail and liked eating fingers.

Damn, nice! I guess they're like the arachnids of the water.

 

[kingshockey]

they are predators/scavengers will catch and eat any fish slow and dumb enough to pass by their claws. easy to breed/raise in a well maintained tank or kiddie pool pond. they are also really good eating cooked by the pot full or in gumbo tank or pond they do better when provided a hides that they can retreat to during molts

 

[viper69]

Keep them in a tank. In the wild they live under water, at least the ones I observed in different areas of the world

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

The dwarf orange crayfish also make pretty good pets. They breed a lot in captivity and don't get above 2 inches. Something slightly larger (10+ gallons) and set up like a shrimp tank should keep them happy. Like a dwarf shrimp, but much edgier.

Like all crayfish, these are super invasive though. Make sure to check for babies when you trim your plants, especially if you live somewhere warm.

If you want a truly stunning crayfish, a reef crayfish might work out. They need salt water, and all the headache that comes with that, but they are very pretty. I wouldn't trust them around corals, but I've heard of people who make it work.

 

[FlamingSwampert]

Keep them in a tank. In the wild they live under water, at least the ones I observed in different areas of the world

Thanks, never thought of that

 

[utahraptor9000]

I've kept two different crawfish, and while I'm sure the details of their care may differ based on the species, in my experience they are very easy to care for.

I had one as a child that my second grade math teacher gave me because he ate all of her fish. He was very hardy and tolerate a lot of "child keeps fish for the first time" mistakes. He couldn't be kept with any other fish because he craved violence 24/7. Sometimes he would play dead at the top of the tank, I would try to fish him out, and he'd start moving like he was playing a prank (obviously he wasn't, but still. Interesting behavior). I think I kept him in a ten gallon tank and fed him every other day, and he lived about six years. This was when I was seven - thirteen so my care probably wasn't excellent.

Right now, I have one named Greg. I'm unsure of his species because I'm not an expert and there's like forty dang different kinds of crawfish where I live. Greg is an impromptu, unwanted rescue crayfish that I cannot re-release into the wild because he might be an invasive species or have the plague. However, Greg will not die. Greg was supposed to be some poor, deathly ill crawfish that I was making comfortable so he could peacefully pass away because my nephew found him in the creek and got attached, but its been six months at this point and he's in good health now

I do a partial water change once a week, and feed him catfish pellets every couple of days. I clean up any visible waste with a turkey baster. I have a filter and small air bubbler, and they don''t need any specific heating requirements as far as I know. They're very hardy, and can tolerate hard water (at least the species I have can because it's from Missouri, land of limestone lol). I have two hides, some fake plants, and keep him on sand. Just be sure to cycle the tank before you get yours. I wasn't able to cycle since my crawfish acquisition was spontaneous, but that's generally best practice.

Good luck! I love crawfish can be a lot of fun, and in my experience are a hardy, forgiving animal!

 

[viper69]

Thanks, never thought of that

Crayfish have gills cmon!

 

[utahraptor9000]

Crayfish have gills cmon!

To be entirely fair, they aren't as obvious as fish

 

[viper69]

To be entirely fair, they aren't as obvious as fish

To be accurate> google

 

[FlamingSwampert]

I've kept two different crawfish, and while I'm sure the details of their care may differ based on the species, in my experience they are very easy to care for.

I had one as a child that my second grade math teacher gave me because he ate all of her fish. He was very hardy and tolerate a lot of "child keeps fish for the first time" mistakes. He couldn't be kept with any other fish because he craved violence 24/7. Sometimes he would play dead at the top of the tank, I would try to fish him out, and he'd start moving like he was playing a prank (obviously he wasn't, but still. Interesting behavior). I think I kept him in a ten gallon tank and fed him every other day, and he lived about six years. This was when I was seven - thirteen so my care probably wasn't excellent.

Right now, I have one named Greg. I'm unsure of his species because I'm not an expert and there's like forty dang different kinds of crawfish where I live. Greg is an impromptu, unwanted rescue crayfish that I cannot re-release into the wild because he might be an invasive species or have the plague. However, Greg will not die. Greg was supposed to be some poor, deathly ill crawfish that I was making comfortable so he could peacefully pass away because my nephew found him in the creek and got attached, but its been six months at this point and he's in good health now

I do a partial water change once a week, and feed him catfish pellets every couple of days. I clean up any visible waste with a turkey baster. I have a filter and small air bubbler, and they don''t need any specific heating requirements as far as I know. They're very hardy, and can tolerate hard water (at least the species I have can because it's from Missouri, land of limestone lol). I have two hides, some fake plants, and keep him on sand. Just be sure to cycle the tank before you get yours. I wasn't able to cycle since my crawfish acquisition was spontaneous, but that's generally best practice.

Good luck! I love crawfish can be a lot of fun, and in my experience are a hardy, forgiving animal!

Pretty neat! The water pH seems to be the hardest part, which is why I usually tend to stick to land-based critters, but maybe I'll have to give these a try at some point.

 

[SpookySpooder]

Water chemistry is easy once you get the hang of it. Especially this entry level stuff, it's already been figured out and measured for you. All you gotta do is follow the directions, add liquid A to liquid B, and mix.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Best in a small tank by themselves. Like a beta tank. If you give them a place to go, they'll spend most of the day hidden away. Eat just about anything but they seem to do good on sinking fish pellets. They'll totally hunt, though. They can and will climb so be careful with plants or whatever close to the filter and lid.

 

[catboyeuthanasia]

Also plants make your life a lot easier. They suck nutrients out of the water and you remove them from your system when you trim them. They also look great which is a huge plus!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

they are predators/scavengers will catch and eat any fish slow and dumb enough to pass by their claws. easy to breed/raise in a well maintained tank or kiddie pool pond. they are also really good eating cooked by the pot full or in gumbo tank or pond they do better when provided a hides that they can retreat to during molts

I don’t understand why people eat them so little meat mostly shell. They gotta be hard open up too?

 

[WhyamIlikethis]

I've been seeing some people I follow on Instagram post pictures of their pet crayfish, and I've read about people keeping them in books and on the internet. They seem to be fairly simple, just with the added difficulty of maintaining a fish tank (though I've seen people keep them in Sterilite bins filled with water using a small filter/bubbler). What're they like? Are they enjoyable pets?

As always, thanks everyone!

I've only kept them a few times but I think they are great! They are active (depending on the crayfish) and are pretty easy as long as you're okay with the added work with the tank. Also, water parameters can be a little difficult but overall I like them a lot!

 

[SpookySpooder]

I don’t understand why people eat them so little meat mostly shell. They gotta be hard open up too?

I hate eating them. Too much work for very little meat, too dirty, and I'm not particularly fond of the taste either.

Cracking them and tearing them apart isn't that hard though. Their shells aren't as tough as they appear.

 

[FlamingSwampert]

I've only kept them a few times but I think they are great! They are active (depending on the crayfish) and are pretty easy as long as you're okay with the added work with the tank. Also, water parameters can be a little difficult but overall I like them a lot!

Water chemistry is easy once you get the hang of it. Especially this entry level stuff, it's already been figured out and measured for you. All you gotta do is follow the directions, add liquid A to liquid B, and mix.

Very nice! I guess the barrier to entry isn't very high for them.

 

[Kada]

The few types we have kept killed literally everything else in the tank, except each other. They are pretty cool! But, at least some species, are certainly not suitable for multi species tanks!