How to Care for Crayfish

Crayfish, also known as crawfish, crawdad, and mudbug, are freshwater crustaceans that can be easily kept in a home aquarium. All it takes to raise shrimp on your own is a large enough tank, the right food, and plenty of time to take care of it. Crayfish are interesting pets, you will often find them building small “houses”, mounds, digging burrows, hiding in dark rocks and aquatic plants, as well as burrowing under gravel. haystack.

Table of Contents

Set up a tank for crayfish

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Buy or catch a crayfish. You can usually find crayfish at seafood stores that sell tropical fish, as well as some pet stores. Before you start shopping, read a little about the different shrimp species and their basic needs. It is better to start with a crayfish until you know how to properly care for them. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Crayfish usually cost from 50,000 or more. With rarer varieties, their value can go up to 300 thousand or even higher!
In some parts of the world, you can catch crayfish in streams or shallow water. You just need to bring a small net and start searching under the rocks until you find a suitable pet. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Create a crayfish tank. In general, you should choose a tank that is large enough with an internal capacity of at least 19–38 liters of water for each crayfish. However, an ideal tank will hold 57–76 liters of water, especially for larger species. An oxygen generator or an oxygen stick is also essential, as crayfish can drown if they stay underwater for too long without a separate source of oxygen. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Crayfish grow well in cool conditions such as mudflats and river beds, so avoid hot aquariums.
Look for tanks that feature aeration and built-in filters to keep the water clean and circulating.

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Fill the tank with clean water. Crayfish need water with a neutral pH (around 7.0). The ideal water temperature should be maintained at 21–24 °C. It should not be difficult to maintain the water at the right temperature if the tank is set up indoors. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

A pH test kit will be very useful to determine the acid or base concentration in the tank water. You can usually find these kits in the fish stall at pet stores, or anywhere that sells pool equipment.
Avoid adding objects such as seashells to the tank, as foreign minerals can alter the pH of the water. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Feed the crayfish

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Give crayfish a small amount of mantis shrimp pellets once a day. Shrimp or grass-fed pellets will make up the bulk of the shrimp’s diet. Food pellets are high in protein and contain all the nutrients needed for shrimp and shrimp shells to grow and develop. Sprinkle pellets around shrimp’s favorite hiding spots so they have easy access to a food source. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Crayfish can occasionally eat frozen seafood, such as water lice, bloodworms, and saltwater mantis shrimp.
Never feed raw or unprocessed mantis shrimp to crayfish. Diseased mantis shrimp can kill crayfish. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Add vegetables in the diet of crayfish. Every now and then, chop some lettuce, cabbage, zucchini or cucumber into small pieces and drop them on the bottom of the tank. You can also feed the shrimp with beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Crayfish love to chew on plant foods, so don’t be surprised if they run out quickly! ^{[10] X Research Source}

Crayfish can still consume damaged or decomposing organic matter. In fact, feeding crayfish plants that are about to spoil will be very beneficial for both you and the shrimp.

Doug Ludemann

Professional aquarist

Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geek, LLC, a professional aquarium services company based in Minneappis. He has worked in the fisheries and fish care industry for over 20 years and received a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota. Doug has previously worked with the Minnesota Zoo and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago as a professional aquarist.

Doug Ludemann
Professional aquarist

Feed the shrimp daily or several times a week. Do not leave excess food in the tank and try to diversify their diet. You should combine foods containing meat and pellets to ensure that shrimp are provided with the necessary nutrients.

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Avoid overfeeding crayfish. One or two mantis shrimp balls or a few vegetables per day is more than enough to fill the shrimp. Remove the leftovers immediately after feeding the shrimp. Anything left on the bottom of the tank will quickly decompose, contaminating the water and forcing the replacement of items that need to be used over and over again. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you are taking care of more than one crayfish (this is not recommended), then you can double the amount of food. However, be mindful of leftovers and quickly scoop out whatever is left over.
Overeating can actually harm crayfish, as it makes their exoskeleton soft and weak.

Ensure safety for crayfish

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Protect crayfish from other fish. Crayfish grow best when swimming in a large tank. Even so, they live relatively well with small fish such as goldfish, barramundi, mply, swordfish, and neon fish. Occasionally, crayfish become aggressive, but they are usually too slow to catch and eat faster-swimming fish. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Crayfish usually only attack sick fish lying on the bottom of the tank. If you see a crayfish devouring one of its comrades, it is likely that the opponent is close to death.
The crayfish is not a threat to other fish, but on the contrary it is always in danger. Large species such as tilapia and catfish often attack crayfish, causing injury or death. ^{[13] X Research Source}
Do not keep more than one crayfish in the tank. If you keep a lot of crayfish, it’s important to make sure they have plenty of space and that they’re all the same species. Different species of crayfish may try to destroy each other.

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Create good conditions for shrimp during molting. Every few months, the crayfish sheds its outer shell and makes way for a new one large enough to enclose its growing body. You’ll want to clean up the old shell right away, but don’t. Shrimp will eat the shell for a few days to absorb the necessary nutrients and minerals and create a strong new armor. ^{[14] X Research Source}

No need to feed shrimp for the first 3-5 days after molting. During this time, it will only eat the old exoskeleton. ^{[15] X Research Source}
Add a few drops of potassium iodide to the tank when your shrimp begins to separate from its old shell. The molting process of crayfish can lead to death due to iodine deficiency. You can find potassium iodide at any store that sells accessories for aquatic pets. ^{[16] X Research Source}
With a soft body, crayfish is very easy to be eaten and attacked by other fish.

Doug Ludemann

Professional aquarist

Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geek, LLC, a professional aquarium services company based in Minneappis. He has worked in the fisheries and fish care industry for over 20 years and received a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota. Doug has previously worked with the Minnesota Zoo and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago as a professional aquarist.

Doug Ludemann
Professional aquarist

Place a sand base in the tank to aid in the molting process. When crayfish molt, there will be a small gap on their back, and the sand will help them orient themselves. Without the sand, they would be turned upside down.

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Cover the tank to make sure the crayfish doesn’t jump out. Crayfish have an exploratory instinct, which means they’ll turn into tiny expert fugitives when no one is looking. Ideally, you should choose a tank with a removable lid to ensure that the crayfish is always inside. If that doesn’t work, use small sponges to seal any openings near the top of the tank, especially around the filter. Plastic pieces or aluminum foil should not be used, these will harm crayfish if eaten. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Use caution when blocking all exits. If the crayfish tries to get out of the tank, it can become dehydrated and die within hours.
Do not put the escaped crayfish into the tank immediately. Instead, place the shrimp in a small container with enough water to cover the shrimp’s body. Their gills will need time to adapt to the water again, otherwise the shrimp can drown when fully submerged in water. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Advice

Consider adding a thick layer of sand or gravel to the bottom of the tank. Crayfish love to dig, whether it’s hiding, looking for food, or simply playing.
When catching crayfish with your hands, always catch with your palm from behind to avoid hurting the shrimp.
Most crayfish species only live about 2-3 years in captivity, however with good conditions, diet and care, crayfish can survive up to 7-8 years.
Crayfish need lots of aquatic plants to roam around and love dark areas.

Warning

Do not release live crayfish in captivity into natural aquatic ecosystems. This action can have serious consequences for native crayfish and other aquatic species.
Since crayfish are territorial creatures, it can be quite difficult to keep a lot of crayfish in the tank.
Avoid foods containing copper, as this substance is very toxic to crayfish. Copper can be found in many fish feeds and will, therefore, interfere with crayfish.
Crayfish are easy to change their size and color. Don’t move crayfish out of the tank often, unless you want to drain or clean the tank.

Steps

Set up a tank for crayfish

Feed the crayfish

Ensure safety for crayfish

Advice

Warning

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