Contemplating a Crayfish Set up

so after I move, i will be setting up my 125 gallon as an orangespotted/SRBD tank. I will then be left with my 33 gallon XL that i am currently using open. The dimensions are 48"x12"x12". Now I am new to crayfishing (buy someone on here has gotten me more interested and even signed up to be a member on bluecrayfish, but they haven't accepted it yet.) So my question is, how many crayfish ( I believe in Wi we have devil, rusty, prairie, golden and calico that I have seen ) would be able to live in this tank, and , what type of filtration is the best? I have tons of HOB's and have a korilia knock off that has two heads and moves 1300 gallons per hour that COULD be used to make current for them. I would also have a deeper sandbed/fine gravel with rocks to dig caves out with. I would also make some caves out of slate and silicone similar to these
http://www.aquabid.c...ions

I'm certainly not a crayfish expert, or even close, but I can share some of my experiences with them. I've kept 6-7 of our local crayfish in a 55 gal. with a few fish. Foot print of tank is 48"X12". There would be an occasional tussle between a couple of them, but no real damage. In fact, I even witnessed them breeding a few times, but I'm guessing the fish ate the offspring. I had plenty of hiding places for them too. Actually, I thought for the longest time that I only had a couple left until I had to take the tank down and found 4 of them hiding in a hollow decoration. The inside of the decoration wasn't accessible to me so I didn't realize they were in there. I set it outside and then daily for the next 4 days I found one roaming around on the porch. All were retrieved. Not sure of the foot print of the 33XL, but I feel that my 55 could have probably even supported a couple more. At the time, I was just using two AquaClear 50 HOB's for the 55 and it was a non planted tank.

I checked out the bluecrayfish website a few days ago. Those sure are some pretty crawdads.

Steve.

Edited by frogwhacker, 06 October 2011 - 12:05 PM.

the 33 XL is the same as a 55 gallon, just much shorter (12" vs the 18" in a 55)

Five cave ideas your crayfish would enjoy:

1. Slate cave: http://www.plantgeek...viewer.php?id=6
2. Coconut cave: http://www.fishforum...t-cave-diy.html
3. PVC coated with rocks: http://aquarium.shur...Cave Page 2.htm
4. Party cup caves: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEO64JqhjRE
5. Terra cotta cave: http://www.cichlidex...stlenose-caves/

Crayfish love caves. They also love escaping the aquarium. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid.

Edited by EricaWieser, 06 October 2011 - 01:17 PM.

So my question is, ... what type of filtration is the best? I have tons of HOB's and have a korilia knock off that has two heads and moves 1300 gallons per hour that COULD be used to make current for them.

I see now that you asked what filtration is best. My response is a fluidized bed filter is best, but if you already bought hang on back filters you can use those. But you should know what a fluidized bed filter is, so the next time you need a new filter, you think of it.

I'll quote my post from this previous NANFA topic. http://forum.nanfa.o...tion-for-a-125/

As a chemical engineer and as an aquarium hobbyist, my favorite filter design remains the fluidized bed. The basic idea of it is that you have small particles like sand in a container, and that you push air or water up through the bottom. Initially, at low velocity, the air/water just makes a few bubbles through the particles. But as the flow rate and volume get faster and faster, the bubbles become more and more forceful until eventually the particles move more like a fluid than like objects falling downward. The result of all this moving around is that all sides of the particle get exposed to current and can get colonized by beneficial bacteria. Therefore the surface area in a fluidized bed reactor is very, very large.

Video of what fluidized particles look like:


Shopping:
http://www.marinedep..._content=RB7631
http://www.thatpetpl...6967_a_7c199010

Edited by EricaWieser, 06 October 2011 - 01:33 PM.

I see now that you asked what filtration is best. My response is a fluidized bed filter is best, but if you already bought hang on back filters you can use those. But you should know what a fluidized bed filter is, so the next time you need a new filter, you think of it.

The one problem with fluidized beds are power outages. As soon as the power comes back on it kills all of your fish.

I would definately do the slate cave rather than the other options. I had a 3 Crayfish in a 15 gallon. I built them a slate cave with a deep 80% sand/20%gravel bed and they survived for over a year, in addition to the fact they were already adults when I recieved them. The reason I was able to keep so many in a small tank problem free was the cave. I added several layers, building it to just outside 4 inches of the surface of the water. Also, Crays benefit from some current, larger pebbles, and a good amount of aeration. I even kept a school of minnows with them and 3 of which lasted the entire time, So you could probably throw in a school of minnows you didn't care too much about. I'd imagine the if you had plenty of layers of slate in your tank you could easily keep 6 or so. Also, they do really well on shrimp pellets and except them eagerly. I think a stream tank would suit this group of creatures well.

I've set up several crayfish specific tanks and I don't really have a cast in iron rule for decor,hides and filtration. I tend to pick up a lot of rocks of various types when I'm out fishing/collecting and I arrange them in my tanks to create caves and make sure there is enough gravel for them to dig under the rocks as well to create their own homes. I've also used T shaped pieces of pvc pipe with limited success. I've also used decorations bought from the store like castles,sunken ships and other things that have caught mine or wife's eyes. Crayfish are not choosy, the first crayfish I ever caught was living in a beer can.

For filtration I use HOB's, submersible filters, sponge and canister filters plus powerheads for current. Just be aware that crayfish are masters of escape and will use whatever they can including airlines, power cords and even intake pipes to climb out. Making the tank escape proof is a must. I'm intrigued by that setup Erica I may have to try making one.

You're using a 33 gallon tank, now the rough rule of thumb is 10 gallons per cray but that's just for living space it isn't taking into account the natural aggressive of crayfish. They are not social animals and will fight, kill and eat each other. Cambarus diogenes(devil crayfish) from what I hear are very aggressive tank mates and will go after and kill any other crayfish. Make sure you have plenty of hiding spots and be prepared to move molting crays into a temporary home or they may get eaten.

They are my favorite critters though, they have distinct personalities and are never boring. Here's a video I made a couple of years ago of a baby cray. Video

Why would power returning to a fluidized bed filter kill your fish?

Why would power returning to a fluidized bed filter kill your fish?

The same reason power returning to any filter might kill your fish. The bacteria die when there's not water flow over them. Pushing all those dead bacteria bodies into your tank spikes the nitrogen levels and sensitive fish can die.

The argument against fluidized bed filters is that without the sand moving, it all compacts and kills the bacteria. But really any time the water stops moving the bacteria die; hang on back filter, wet dry, etc.

Edited by EricaWieser, 07 October 2011 - 09:16 AM.

You're using a 33 gallon tank, now the rough rule of thumb is 10 gallons per cray but that's just for living space it isn't taking into account the natural aggressive of crayfish. They are not social animals and will fight, kill and eat each other. Cambarus diogenes(devil crayfish) from what I hear are very aggressive tank mates and will go after and kill any other crayfish. Make sure you have plenty of hiding spots and be prepared to move molting crays into a temporary home or they may get eaten.

Of the crayfish in my area (according to that website you provided the link to in your thread) what would be the best species to keep more than one or a group of? I am trying to find out where the "blue" crayfish are in my state because I think I would prefer to find them lol.


Here is tthe linkhttp://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/country_pages/state_pages/wisconsin.htm

Edited by NVCichlids, 07 October 2011 - 10:14 AM.

The only 2 in your area that I have here in NJ and have kept are P.acutus and O.virilis. I've kept them in groups and there hasn't been too much carnage. As far as finding a blue one goes it's a color morph and it's rare. Add in the fact that a blue crayfish in a native environment tends to have a short life and that makes it even rarer. I know that Dan Johnson(he posts here every once in a while) has come across at least one blue C.diogenes I saw the pictures and it was a very nice looking crayfish. I just caught a very nice looking crayfish last week it's apricot colored, very pretty.

Make sure you provide plenty of hiding places for each cray or they will fight over them.

i think I am going to go out this weekend looking for some. I want to try to find some spotfin shiners to so I might set traps for both, hope some stumble in and also flip rocks with my hand nets (similar to a dip net with a 12" handel instead of the 6' perfect dipnet lol)

i will get pictures up as soon as I get them on my home computer, but I caught quite a few, all the same species, but I couldn't get any of the true colors to show through. Some had almost a neon green legs/claws that come through in pictures olivey colored, and others with deep blue legs/claws and they just looked brown in the pictures. How do I photograph them to show the true colors? I also caught tons of fish (with minimal pictures in all.)

How do I photograph them to show the true colors?

Change the color filter on your camera. If it's a digital camera, dig through the settings (and the user manual) until you find different filters. If you reply to this post or private message me with the make and model of your camera, I'll look up the user manual for you. They're usually all online.

I can't wait to see the pictures.

Change the color filter on your camera. If it's a digital camera, dig through the settings (and the user manual) until you find different filters. If you reply to this post or private message me with the make and model of your camera, I'll look up the user manual for you. They're usually all online.

I believe my current camera is a coolpix S230. I am still waiting for my underwater camera

I believe my current camera is a coolpix S230.

Check out page 122 of of this: http://www.nikonusa....30ENnoprint.pdf
Pages 55 and 76 may also be useful.

I will post pictures of just the crayfish here and will start a thread on my entire trip.

They were all RUSTY Crays from what I could tell due to the spot on each side of the carapace. The ones photographed had the odd colouration, but it doesn't show in the pictures (thanks erica, I am working with the settings for next time!)

Rusty with dark blue legs/claws




Rusty with neon green legs (ok, neon to me is a brighter green, not the drab olive colors that shows up on most of them)




The location where I was (upstream and down)