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Keeping a baby crayfish?


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#1 Guest_dannywuzhere_*

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Posted 17 May 2013 - 11:36 AM

I want to order a crayfish online to keep as a pet but it will come as a baby. How should I take care of it untill it reaches adulthood? Also, what species should I get? I don't care about the color, but I would like a small species so I can keeping in a smaller sized tank. Anyone have advice?

#2 Guest_Subrosa_*

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Posted 17 May 2013 - 01:14 PM

If you want one that will stay small, stick with species in the genus Cambarellus. There are two species very common in the hobby, Cambrellus schuhfeldti from the SE US and Cambarellus patzcuarensis from Mexico. Patzcuarensis known as CPOs (Cambrellus patzcuarensis "Orange") are the more brightly colored and much more expensive species. You can get a small colony of schuhfeldti for what a single CPO costs.

#3 mattknepley

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Posted 18 May 2013 - 05:51 AM

My experience with crayfish is limited, but the ones I have had seem to have done well. Which is nice, because other than make sure that they have a substrate deep enough for them to excavate, with rocks large enough for them to hide under, I haven't really done anything special for them. They will eat almost anything, and mine have been very happy with standard fish food that sinks to the bottom. (And the occasional slow fish.) If it's a temperate species, don't worry about heating its tank. Make sure it has filtration. They disappear for a couple days at a time; probably molting. I am no expert, but these basics seem to have had good results. And if your crays are like mine, if they aren't full size when you get them, they will grow pretty quickly.
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."




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