tank structure for crayfish?

What are some ideas for good crayfish cover in a 40-55 gallon tank? Mine will probably have sandy bottom with gravel, or just gravel. It will have some fake aquarium plants and probably a wood structure ( stump or branch or something) Is there something I could add to the tank specifically for the crayfish where the larger fish can't bother him?

What are some ideas for good crayfish cover in a 40-55 gallon tank? Mine will probably have sandy bottom with gravel, or just gravel. It will have some fake aquarium plants and probably a wood structure ( stump or branch or something) Is there something I could add to the tank specifically for the crayfish where the larger fish can't bother him?

As the crayfish grows (and they certainly thrive on the detritus in an aquarium) it will "modify" its aquarium habitat to its liking, no matter how your aquascaping plans may be different. He'll dig pits in the sand under logs and rocks and may even uproot plants (fake or not).

Travis Haas

mine which I've had for some months has even moved japanesse moss balls around his cave and has scared of a pair of convicts from breeding to close to his half of the 55g

Yeah but my crayfish will be living with green sunfish/rockbass so I figured I'd give him places to hide from the getgo so he isn't harrased/attempted to get eaten as much. I'll probably release him in the tank a good 20 minutes at least before the fish

Yeah but my crayfish will be living with green sunfish/rockbass so I figured I'd give him places to hide from the getgo so he isn't harrased/attempted to get eaten as much. I'll probably release him in the tank a good 20 minutes at least before the fish

The few that I have had always took to PVC pipe and short sections of black plastic pipe. different sizes will give them choices to choose from.

Bill F.

Crayfish and fish are really a difficult combination. If the fish are large enough to be safe from predation by the crayfish, they will likely pick it to death while it is molting or soft. If the fish are too small to harm the cray while it is molting, the crayfish will soon enough make a meal of them.

:\ My tank will have plants/places to hide though

I kept a green and a crawdad together for a couple of years. The crawdad had a burrow under a rock. They never messed with each other.

It really depends on the species of crayfish. I keep crayfish in all my tanks, some very large. The difficulty is in knowing your crayfish, and being willing to make mistakes if you're unsure of a species.

First off... Rusty Crayfish are RIGHT out. A lot of the behavior you guys are talking about sounds like rusticus.

You can't go wrong with Procambarus. A widely distributed Procambarus is the white river crayfish, which is found in wetlands across the midwest. And... They're fire truck red.

Many Cambarus are great tank mates as well, but if underfed, will go after plants.

In my sandbed setup, I welcome rearrangements, but find they make one den, and that's about that.

I've never had trouble with fish picking at them during molts either. All of them have just gotten huge. You wouldn't believe this northern crayfish I have. And for an Orconectes species, he's really nice. He eats plants, so I have him in the "hornwort recycle center" where I've turned yesterday's poo into plants in one system, and gotten another poo out of them again

Todd

Hey! I looked it up. The White River Crayfish is one that I used to have. They are very red, but I would say more darker than fire engine red though. I caught her on the south side of Chicago of all places. I always wondered if it was a rare species, cause I never saw another like it. (Mainly because everything was overrun with rusty crayfish.) She was an interesting specimen, kind of shy, never ate a (living) tankmate. A rusty crayfish would catch a fish larger than itself and eat it alive.

Should I assume that these red crayfish that are 2-5 inches long the crayfish you said makes an excellent tankmate? Now I just gotta hope Mr. Rockbass doesn't eat him

I guess the best advice is that, as long as their sizes are pretty similar, you can give it a go. Don't become too fond of either, because the crayfish may eat the fish or (more likely) visa-versa.

One other thing, crayfish can be escape artists! Keep a tight lid with small cracks.

Probably get a wire mesh lid. My green sunfish will already jump (happened twice) what I throw flakes in. These guys are smart, they swim around real fast whenever I move at all in my room. If I make a grab for the flake can they both freak out and wait at the surface. Smart fish

Yes, Bullhead, south of Chicago would have been prime habitat for white river crayfish, and there are probably relict populations all around where the water is too slow for rustys, but too fast for digger crayfish. They live in all those wet prairies between the dunes, and seem to like the seasonally flowing areas best. The Kankakee, Calumuet and Des Plaines would all have been crawling with them, and probably still are in certain sections.

Bullhead also makes a great point that crayfish are escape artists. One night, our dog was barking visciously, to the point where Erika went to investigate (I'd sleep through nuclear holocaust). She couldn't figure out what the dog was barking at, but then saw something move. It was big and hairy and scarry.

Turned out to be that my large northern crayfish, on rowndabout, covered in dog hair.

I might bark too

Todd

Yes, Bullhead, south of Chicago would have been prime habitat for white river crayfish, and there are probably relict populations all around where the water is too slow for rustys, but too fast for digger crayfish. They live in all those wet prairies between the dunes, and seem to like the seasonally flowing areas best. The Kankakee, Calumuet and Des Plaines would all have been crawling with them, and probably still are in certain sections.

Bullhead also makes a great point that crayfish are escape artists. One night, our dog was barking visciously, to the point where Erika went to investigate (I'd sleep through nuclear holocaust). She couldn't figure out what the dog was barking at, but then saw something move. It was big and hairy and scarry.

Turned out to be that my large northern crayfish, on rowndabout, covered in dog hair.

I might bark too

Todd

I can also attest to their skill in escaping. I've had some make it 6-10 feet across the room before succumbing to the effects of dry wisconsin air in winter.

Travis

Trust me I know that dry Wisconsin winter all to well .

Yes, Bullhead, south of Chicago would have been prime habitat for white river crayfish, and there are probably relict populations all around where the water is too slow for rustys, but too fast for digger crayfish. They live in all those wet prairies between the dunes, and seem to like the seasonally flowing areas best. The Kankakee, Calumuet and Des Plaines would all have been crawling with them, and probably still are in certain sections.

Bullhead also makes a great point that crayfish are escape artists. One night, our dog was barking visciously, to the point where Erika went to investigate (I'd sleep through nuclear holocaust). She couldn't figure out what the dog was barking at, but then saw something move. It was big and hairy and scarry.

Turned out to be that my large northern crayfish, on rowndabout, covered in dog hair.

I might bark too

Todd

Not "south of Chicago", it was in the city. One of the little ponds over by Wolf Lake (if you know the area). I have heard that the Calumet region has the greatest biodiversity on the interior North American contininent. It also happens to be one of the most heavily industrialized areas on the continent too.

My wife found one of mine in the bathroom one morning. It had to climb out of the tank across the room to the door and then around the corner and down the hall to the bathroom! The amazing part is that my two cats didn't eat it before she found it. Unfortunately since then this same one has once again escaped and this time it was not found, the fur balls must have gotten him.

My wife found one of mine in the bathroom one morning. It had to climb out of the tank across the room to the door and then around the corner and down the hall to the bathroom! The amazing part is that my two cats didn't eat it before she found it. Unfortunately since then this same one has once again escaped and this time it was not found, the fur balls must have gotten him.

I saw this on "Finding Nemo". It was heading for the toilet and freedom!

Yeah, I'll be sure to get a wire mesh lid for my tank. If I put plastic plants in the tank the crayfish won't go all lumberjack on them will it?


p.s.If I were to keep a tank full of dwarf crayfish would they need an aerator?