Crayfish questions...

[SeverinBarbossa]

Ok, as of late I've been finding crayfish very intriguing and possibly something I want to indulge in in the near future. I've been doing research but there's not much helpful info.

What are the best crayfish for beginners? What size tanks do they need (say gallons and not the ?x? cm thing...it's not helpful)? Best pH, temperature, etc?

Thanks in advance to all those who answer my questions.

[bettabrat]

LOL be careful it is addicting. I started with what the LFS sold to me as "baby blue lobster" and I remember my mom having a cray when I was a kid and it had babies, they were SOOOO awesome to watch. I suppose you could always try a feeder cray and go from there, shouldn't be a very large investment. Only cray I could find was the one I have now but I think I might have better luck either ordering online (I am wanting a CPO really bad) or waiting until the weather breaks and trying to hunt some down myself (this could end badly)

Good luck with your choice. I don't think you can go wrong with a crayfish I believe MOST are pretty easy to keep. But there are plenty others who know more than I do.

[black_sun]

First and foremost, definitely check out crayfishmates.com and bluecrayfish.com if you decide to get a crayfish. These are excellent forums to learn specifically about crayfish from other keepers, breeders and the occasional scientists/researchers who pop in from time to time.

Anyway, general rule of thumb for most crayfish species is 10 gallons per crayfish (excluding crays that grow to larger sizes than most, and the rule is excluded if you're using tanks that are higher than normal... crays can only utilize the floor space. So, think sizes in terms of regular or breeder tanks). Most crayfish should be kept in the somewhere in the 7 range for pH, below and above 7 (i.e. 6 or 8) can cause issues. And the mid 70s is a nice temperature to aim for (specific species may do better in warmer or cooler, so keep that in mind).

That aside, I personally think your general feeders (P. clarkii, P. acutus, O. virilis, O. limosus) are good starter crayfish. They aren't particular demanding, they tolerate a wide range of tank conditions and aren't picky in terms of diet. That, and if it doesn't work out... you didn't waste a lot of money, you know?
Usually, people seem to end up with P. alleni ("Electric Blue Crayfish/Crawfish/Lobster) or Cherax quadricarinatus ("Red Claw" "Yabby" "Electric Blue Crayfish/Crawfish/Lobster") because a lot of LFS carry these regularly. P. alleni is a highly aggressive species, and while pretty, I don't recommend it unless you want an aggressive species (personally, I love them, you may too). And Cherax quads are really awesome crayfish, but pack the potential to be monsters as adults. So, you'd have to be prepared to end up with a medium or large sized tank in the end.

If you'd like a list of crayfish sites for information, let me know. I can dig up a bunch of 'em from my page and my computer's archives. ^_^

P.s. Run through my albums, I have a bunch of crayfish. Maybe you'll find something you like and I can give you better information on a single species rather than a general overview.