Crayfish for the aquarium
If you look at crayfish you will quickly realize that these gentle giants are not only good looking but also interesting to watch. It all started a few million years ago when the first crabs slowly moved into freshwater. In the course of time, they became more and more accustomed to freshwater and were able to reproduce in it. Since this was ensured, the animals migrated to all continents, but not in Africa and Antarctica. From their natural habitats they came now also into our aquariums, more and more people tried to breed them and even brought new colors and forms on the market and made it possible that we can offer you now a large selection of different species.
Crayfish and their keeping in the aquarium
Crayfish can grow up to 20cm and even larger and are therefore only suitable for large aquariums from 100 liters. However, there are exceptions, dwarf crayfish. These small crayfish grow up to 5cm and can be kept in tanks as small as 10 liters. It is important that they are not kept alone like their big brothers. So that they are not too bored you should offer some hiding places in the aquarium like moss, roots or clay tubes which we also offer in our store. With other crayfish this is similar, however, you should not maintain more than one pair because otherwise it can come to turf wars.
Moulting of the crayfishes
Crayfishes belong to the group of the Crustacean. Like all others of this group, crayfish have to molt regularly. Juveniles molt very often in their early days because their carapace does not grow with them, so they have to build a bigger carapace every few months. In the moulting period crayfish live like all other Crustaceans very restrained and often stay in their hiding places, this is a natural instinct because after the moult the carapace is very soft which can be fatal in turf wars in nature or in the aquarium.
Putting crayfish in the aquarium
When putting crayfish in the aquarium, you should have some patience. The crayfish get used to the new aquarium water only slowly which also means stress for the animals. For this reason, it is best to put your crayfish with the supplied water in a food-safe bucket and scoop in 15min intervals again and again a small cup of aquarium water. After you have repeated this 3-4 times you can put your crayfish carefully with the help of a landing net into the aquarium.
The feeding of the crayfish - the right crayfish food !
For crayfish there is special crayfish food. In addition to the food we offer, crayfish also enjoy small delicacies such as leaves, various dried vegetables or live food. This should be fed in small quantities every few days depending on the number of crayfish.
Crayfish offspring - breeding crayfish in the aquarium
The reproduction of crayfish is possible without any problems. Females carry 20-300 eggs under their abdomen every 3-4 weeks depending on the species. After about 3-4 weeks they develop into small crayfish which then leave the mother after some time. In this time you should offer many hiding places as mentioned above, because the parents eat the one or other young animal if the stocking density is too high.
Conclusion: Crayfish in the aquarium
Crayfish are becoming more and more popular in aquaristics and make every aquarium a real highlight. They are easy to maintain and forgive the keeper even the one or other mistake. So if you want a somewhat unusual inhabitant in your aquarium, you should definitely get one of our crayfish.