How long do Crawfish live for??

[west1]

I am planing on adding a couple of Crayfish in my DYI 60gl sump and wanted to know how long they live for. Also about how big do they get???

I figure since they are scavengers it would be great for them to eat what ever goes threw my Overflow to my 300gl.
Also I am thinking of adding a grip of feeders so I could quarentine them before feeding to my fish. So they could probly eat a couple of feeders when realy hungry

[thebullit]

crays depending on species will live up 2 about 2 years in captivity.

size also depends on species.

[thebullit]

Red Claw Crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) can grow to about 8" in length. mine are about 6" at the moment and about 9 months old.

[west1]

Thanks. I tried to google some info, but got very little. It kept trying to correct crayfish with catfish

[thebullit]

heres a few site you may want to try. http://www.crayfishworld.com/sexy.htm
http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php?showtopic=3241

my female was carrying eggs on christmas day, all hatched after 36 days well the eggs that were left, about 50 lil ronnies lol......all sold bar 10. keeping back to growout and pair.

4 months on and shes carring about 300-400eggs this time. her second time and mine so to speak so am not going to desturb her this time.

[west1]

heres a few site you may want to try. http://www.crayfishworld.com/sexy.htm
http://forum.nanfa.org/index.php?showtopic=3241

my female was carrying eggs on christmas day, all hatched after 36 days well the eggs that were left, about 50 lil ronnies lol......all sold bar 10. keeping back to growout and pair.

4 months on and shes carring about 300-400eggs this time. her second time and mine so to speak so am not going to desturb her this time.

Oh, dang! Crayfish got stamina:grinyes:
Its HAMMER time for that couple:rofl:

[soobie]

Also I am thinking of adding a grip of feeders so I could quarentine them before feeding to my fish. So they could probly eat a couple of feeders when realy hungry

Just a note here to say that if you put fish in the sump that serves your display tank, you're not really quarantining the fish. If they have a water-transmissable disease or parasite (like ich), it will infect the display tank as well.

[Arakkis]

Quads live about 2years

[west1]

Just a note here to say that if you put fish in the sump that serves your display tank, you're not really quarantining the fish. If they have a water-transmissable disease or parasite (like ich), it will infect the display tank as well.

I know, thats about the best I can do. I dont have another tank to Q them
in:wall: and honestly dont want to get another tank up for that. I figure just to add salt to get the Ich out and usually the bad fish die out pretty quickly.

Well I guess I can always load up my daughters 50gl, but it will just make her tank/fish look crappy:idea:

[Notophthalmus]

Bigger crays (Cherax, Cambarus, Procambarus, Orconectes species) will eat feeder fish; they may do too good a job of it and clean your stock out before they make it to the main tank. Dwarf crays (Cambarellus species) are unlikely to eat fish.

Crayfish are not really suitable as sump cleaners; they do scavenge dead fish and the like, but they don't eat the general muck that collects in sumps. If you just want to keep some, and your sump is the only space available, that's cool. Just don't expect them to clean it out.

A better choice for that task is scuds (amphipods). As a bonus, occasional individuals will be sucked through the pump and shot into the tank, where your fish can chow down on them.

*EDIT* I wouldn't recommend adding salt to your sump- it will go right into your main tank. You don't have to set up a glass aquarium for QT; you can use a rubbermaid tub or plastic bucket, etc.

[west1]

Bigger crays (Cherax, Cambarus, Procambarus, Orconectes species) will eat feeder fish; they may do too good a job of it and clean your stock out before they make it to the main tank. Dwarf crays (Cambarellus species) are unlikely to eat fish.

Crayfish are not really suitable as sump cleaners; they do scavenge dead fish and the like, but they don't eat the general muck that collects in sumps. If you just want to keep some, and your sump is the only space available, that's cool. Just don't expect them to clean it out.

A better choice for that task is scuds (amphipods). As a bonus, occasional individuals will be sucked through the pump and shot into the tank, where your fish can chow down on them.

*EDIT* I wouldn't recommend adding salt to your sump- it will go right into your main tank. You don't have to set up a glass aquarium for QT; you can use a rubbermaid tub or plastic bucket, etc.

I know the salt goes to the main tank:), it also helps the Tats if they get Ich (since they get it pretty easy).

I think the scuds are to small and will get sucked in from my Pump real quick.
I have a pacific imports 4750Gph pump sumerg in the Sump
Though on a little research, it seems like it would of worked pretty good


http://www.pacificcoastimports.com/product.cfm?sid=33693717F00127081408002X1208528460 631H192F234F51F1F60629466T4129&p=102&cs=products%2Ecfm%3Fsid%3D33693717F00127081408002X 1208528460631H192F234F51F1F60629466T4129%26c%3D4%2 6kys%3D%26pg%3D1

I am also thinking of maybe X-ing out the Crayfish and going with some king of hardy/ugly loaches. I seen some eel like loaches that are like a med/light brown???

[Notophthalmus]

Loaches do not eat detritus.

Is your sump open, or is there structure (filter floss, plants, sponges, etc.) in it? If it is open, I strongly suggest getting some medium to put in it that will provide more surface for bacteria (and, incidentally, scuds). A cheap and effective material is the bird netting used to cover vegetables; you can get it at home centers, gardening suppliers, nurseries, farmer's co-ops, etc. Just rinse it thoroughly, wad it up, and stuff it in the sump.

Alternatively, you could put some lights over your sump and plant it heavily with hornwort and other hardy plants. Either of these options will make your sump much more effective. Just be sure to put a pre-filter on your pump.

[west1]

[quote=Notophthalmus;1401980]Loaches do not eat detritus.

Is your sump open, or is there structure (filter floss, plants, sponges, etc.) in it? If it is open, I strongly suggest getting some medium to put in it that will provide more surface for bacteria (and, incidentally, scuds). quote]

I do have a pre filter in the first chamber before the bioballs. Just bought 2 more chambers yesterday (I'll post a pic)
I also do have plants (anubias) in my 60gl DIY sump with 2 Juvi crayfish.

What did you mean by "medium"?? Did you mean Media??
I never thought of putting a net around the intake of the pump. Ganna try that.

[Notophthalmus]

Looks good. Better to use a piece of foam instead of net to keep things out of the intake.

[west1]

Looks good. Better to use a piece of foam instead of net to keep things out of the intake.

Foam???? can you elaborate a little more... specific type?

[Notophthalmus]

Any open-cell foam, like filter foam. Cut out a slot for the filter intake and stuff the foam down over it. You can even get premade foam pieces for larger pumps; look in pond supply places.

Nets clog up quickly, especially over the small area of an intake opening. The netting I was talking about would be for bacterial surface area in the sump, not mechanical filtration at the intake.