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Cambarellus Shufeldtii - Cajun dwarf crayfish

Started by Guest_schambers_* , Feb 15 2008 04:07 PM

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24 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 15 February 2008 - 04:07 PM

I won an auction of ten of these crays last November. They were little specks at the time and now they've grown up into nice little crayfish. I've been spreading them around some of my tanks, but I don't have any experience with mixing crayfish and fish, and I'm a little worried. How likely are they to make snacks of small fish? All my other crayfish are in tanks with only expendable livebearers for company. I know larger fish can eat them, but how large? Is it species or size of the fish that I need to look out for? (I currently have mostly tropical fish, but I'm adding a couple tanks of natives as I learn more.)

I'd like to hear of any experiences or opinions you all have on these crayfish. I'd just plain like to learn more!

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#2 Guest_dafrimpster_*

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Posted 16 February 2008 - 05:02 PM

i have a large colony of Shufeldtii's with Heterandria Formosa which is supposed to be the seventh smallest fish known to man. I have never seen any aggression towards the fish. I also have them in a tank with some Endler's livebearer's and cherry shrimp. Again no aggression. I haven;t tried them with any larger fish. I would think it would depend on the species of fish if they would eat the crays. Crays are most vulnerable to fish right after they molt.

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#3 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 16 February 2008 - 06:41 PM

Endler's livebearers are what I put with my big crayfish! They are great fish. Thanks for the advice!

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#4 Guest_puchisapo_*

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Posted 17 February 2008 - 01:04 PM

i'm not sure if they were the same species, but i had some Cambarellus that looked just like shufeldtii when i was in Mexico a couple of years ago. they were passive and got along fine with all of the fish. i got the female to produce and hatch eggs. all the Cambarellus were eventually murdered by the big Macrobrachium that i had in the same tank.

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#5 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 17 February 2008 - 02:13 PM

i'm not sure if they were the same species, but i had some Cambarellus that looked just like shufeldtii when i was in Mexico a couple of years ago. they were passive and got along fine with all of the fish. i got the female to produce and hatch eggs. all the Cambarellus were eventually murdered by the big Macrobrachium that i had in the same tank.

I hope to breed mine, too. I just noticed that one of them has dug itself a burrow under some slate. Right now I have five of them in a five gallon tank, so hiding places are at a premium! I feel more confident about putting them in with some fish, now, so I'll be moving some of them soon.

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#6 Guest_Canadiancray_*

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Posted 05 April 2008 - 11:04 PM

You will love these guys. They are awesome little crays & even safe with plants.

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#7 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 06 April 2008 - 03:12 PM

I do love them! The are easy to breed, too. I have a five gallon tank full of babies.

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#8 Guest_JakeLevi1_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 08:10 AM

Mine share a ten gallon with some Hets, they love the Hets bloodworms but I have seen the Hets, adult and juveniles take bloodworms away from the Cambarellus, they just swim up and grab it. The only aggresssion I have seen is when two tried to gang up on one moulting, a net handle moved them away. Their tank is packed with Nytella and Hornwort and they enjoy climbing all through the plants. As they matured some developed interesting patterns on their shells.

A very attractive and interesting crayfish. I wouldnt trust them with anything bigger then they are, Hets and Endlers and Guppies would be my limits.

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#9 Guest_mette_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 10:22 AM

I am doing pretty much the same things as everyone else -- I keep a dozen or so of them with Heterandria, Lucania goodei, and Neocaridina sp. in a 29 gallon that's packed full with plants. I see berried females often, and occasionally very young crayfish, but it's hard to say if they're really increasing their numbers. I think the Bluefins may be picking some of them off.

I feed Crab Cuisine, some sort of veggie wafer, frozen bloodworms, and live blackworms. The crayfish really go for the blackworms. I dose about 20ppm Ca+ (from CaCl₂) at each water change. So far, so good.

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#10 Guest_Canadiancray_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 11:11 AM

I have a few of the blue variety that people are working with. Its not a genetic morph more of a line breeding variation.

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#11 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 02:03 PM

You will love these guys. They are awesome little crays & even safe with plants.

CC,
Exactly how safe with plants are they? (Let's assume that the plants are your prize item, not the fish.) I'd love to have some crays in my plant tanks, but avoid them like the plague due to their destructive nature. Which is a pity, since I think aesthetically they go well in planted tanks.

If they are indeed harmless, the next question is - where does one find any, and does anyone want to trade?

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#12 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 04:01 PM

So far, the only plant mine have bothered is hygrophilia. They must have liked the taste, or else they got hungry. They've left alone the java fern, val, hornwort, anubias, and swords. They will dig a little to modify hiding places, but not bad. These guys are definitely different from the big crayfish I've kept.

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#13 Guest_mette_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 07:56 PM

CC,
Exactly how safe with plants are they? (Let's assume that the plants are your prize item, not the fish.) I'd love to have some crays in my plant tanks, but avoid them like the plague due to their destructive nature. Which is a pity, since I think aesthetically they go well in planted tanks.

If they are indeed harmless, the next question is - where does one find any, and does anyone want to trade?

Mine have shown no interest in any of my plants. The only things I have seen moved around are food items. I do give them vegetable foods, that may prevent some unwanted behavior.

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#14 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 12 April 2008 - 08:58 PM

Mine don't mess with the plants. They like to climb on them though.

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#15 Guest_Sal_*

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Posted 13 April 2008 - 05:37 PM

I hope to breed mine, too. I just noticed that one of them has dug itself a burrow under some slate. Right now I have five of them in a five gallon tank, so hiding places are at a premium! I feel more confident about putting them in with some fish, now, so I'll be moving some of them soon.

They are doing well together not fighting?

I have only kept the N.Blue Crays

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#16 Guest_dafrimpster_*

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Posted 13 April 2008 - 11:31 PM

I have mine in a 20g tall tank with lot's of hiding places. I would say my numbers maxed out at around 60 or more. I started to see some agression at that point. I have thinned them substantially and I haven't seen any fighting since.

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#17 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 14 April 2008 - 03:11 PM

Mine will squabble a bit around feeding time. I haven't seen any serious fights.

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#18 Guest_Sal_*

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Posted 14 April 2008 - 09:00 PM

I have mine in a 20g tall tank with lot's of hiding places. I would say my numbers maxed out at around 60 or more. I started to see some agression at that point. I have thinned them substantially and I haven't seen any fighting since.

Wow 60 on 20g tall? I imagine they bred well ?

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#19 Guest_Sal_*

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Posted 14 April 2008 - 09:02 PM

Mine will squabble a bit around feeding time. I haven't seen any serious fights.

They sound fairly calm I have only had the Northern blue crays but had 3 F 1 male in 30 gallon long they did great for yrs than began to die .
I did not know any other cray would get along but these dwarf crays look interesting.

Thanks

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#20 Guest_dafrimpster_*

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Posted 14 April 2008 - 09:54 PM

Wow 60 on 20g tall? I imagine they bred well ?

They are breeding very well for me. They have alot of hiding spots. I think that is very important. Here's a blurry cellphone pic of the tank to give you an idea of my setup. This pic is after a major java moss and frogbit trim.