89 Crayfish

[Pooshybear]

I think I will start this off with a small intro, I have been a freshwater aquarium hobbyist for roughly 4 years, I don't know everything yet, but I know enough to keep everything going pretty smoothly. I have 2 fish tanks in use, a 120 gallon tank, and a 20 gallon tank. 4 months ago I bought 3 crayfish (the common ones I think) and later they had some babies. I only found 9 of them, but they are all white-ish blue and now 1.5 inches (roughly) long. I seperated them into the empty twenty gallon tank and have had no problems, a few more months and I noticed the female had tons of eggs.
I waited for them to be fertilized and now I have 89 tiny cray fish in a small beta container. I setup a tiny aerator, and started to wonder. What do they eat? I don't know much about crayfish breeding, but I'd imagine that they still eat like their parents, just in smaller portions. Also is it normal for the babies to attach themselves to eachother and make larger clumps? If pictures are needed I can provide soon.

[excuzzzeme]

Welcome to AC!

[Pooshybear]

Thanks! I tried some dried seaweed, and they seem to have liked it, I have some pictures. I hope 640x480 isnt too big, I can happily resize.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8737/img0836d.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/i/img0836d.jpg/)
Thats my small holding tank for the babies, the only decent picture I could get was a birds eye view.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6516/img0837i.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/i/img0837i.jpg/)
Thats my 20 gallon tank with the blue crayfish(I still don't get how the common red crayfish makes blue ones). I built the stand, its rock solid.
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3811/img0838p.jpg (http://img151.imageshack.us/i/img0838p.jpg/)
and thats my 120 gallon tank, yes thats a carp (I think its a grass carp, unsure) and a huge goldfish that somehow outlived my gars and became huge. I have plenty other fish in there.

[Scrufdog]

my blues have been humping like mad lately. Hopefully have some little ones soon. Already have a tank waiting.

[thebrandon]

that's a great looking 20 gallon!

[black_sun]

What do they eat? I don't know much about crayfish breeding, but I'd imagine that they still eat like their parents, just in smaller portions.

Pretty much lol. Younger crayfish, however, will need more protein and calcium than anything else. Vegetable matter is harder for them to digest when younger. They should still be offered a very varied diet though as they'll need as much nutrients as possible to grow.

And they should be provided with lots of cover (hornwort, java fern, pvc pipes, layered rocks, etc) so they can hide and molt in safety. It also helps lower their stress level (crays without hides = stress). They will cannibalize each other a little bit (this is natural and debatably beneficial to them), but increased cover helps prevent this on a large scale.

[Pooshybear]

So some quick updates, I moved the crays that were in the 20 gallon into the 120 gallon tank, and that seems to be fine. I shut the filters off in my 20 gallon tank and added a good airstone/aerator. The crays seem to enjoy the thin patches of grass that I have as hiding spots. I have found some evidence of them eating eachother, but only 3 bodies were found. The mom apparently had a few more babys left so I have more now. Once they grow, I willl have to find some homes for them, probably a lake nearby.
Edit: I will be heading out to Petco later, do those mossballs grow easy in sand?

[feiyang]

Don't use flash when shooting in front of the tank, you will get better result.

[laurenrocksth]

I'm not sure where you're located, but releasing non native species into the wild is generally frowned upon.

I bet you could find some takers for the crays right here on AC :)

[smartdog126]

never let pet's into the wild thats a bad idea thats just a way for them to die..

[Pooshybear]

never let pet's into the wild thats a bad idea thats just a way for them to die..
Normally I would agree, but these crayfish are native, and they are not "domesticated" they can survive in the wild easily. I also have a grass carp that I asked a nearby lake offical, and they said they would happily take both the crayfish and the grass carp.
If worse comes to worse, I will have plenty of bait for bass fishing :thm:

[black_sun]

Normally I would agree, but these crayfish are native, and they are not "domesticated" they can survive in the wild easily. I also have a grass carp that I asked a nearby lake offical, and they said they would happily take both the crayfish and the grass carp.
If worse comes to worse, I will have plenty of bait for bass fishing :thm:


You still shouldn't do that. Crayfish can pick up parasites, diseases, etc in captivity that you would be introducing into a system that didn't have them before.

For example, if you've fed or allowed your crayfish to consume any shrimp or snails, they could have a variety of worm-like parasites, such as flukes, that use snails as vectors. Or could have contracted WSSV, which is carried by shrimp (FW & SW, and even in prepared form), which is lethal to crayfish. (Note, these are examples, not end alls. There's still many other things that can be contracted in captivity.)

Also, unless you are releasing them into the same area in which you obtained them you are potentially upsetting an existing habitat. Certain species of crayfish are more herbivorous/carnivorous and aggressive/passive. They could overtake a particular food source or existing species in a new environment. (as evident by the numerous invasive species in most states, and in other countries)

So, please think more in depth before considering releasing them into the wild. Also, if you choose to use them as bait, you should freeze them first because the same issues mentioned above have the potential of occurring.

Rehoming, handing over to proper authorities or organizations, etc should be preferred over releasing captive animals into the wild. It's not always a matter of whether they can survive or not, sometimes other things come into play.

[Pooshybear]

Good point, however the crayfish come from the small stream outside the shop that sells them. If I release them there it should have no effects. Even so, I am starting to reconsider, I have some people offering, and I bet they will have some nice homes.

A notice to people who didnt know/newer people: mossballs float, so you must tie them to something that sinks, I chose some leftover filter parts and put them under the sand to hide the parts, and make the mossballs sit on the bottom.

[Nue]

the moss balls from petco are just java moss wrapped around a Styrofoam ball. Im not sure if they had exactly that at your petco, but im pretty sure. The java moss would be better anyways for your crayfish young. Take a picture of the moss ball if you want to be sure its just java moss, and if it is, i recommend taking off the styrofoam ball or it will rot the moss underneath.

[Pooshybear]

It is indeed java moss on a styro foam ball, however the crays absolutely love them. I know theres a doezen on one that have tunneled a little into the moss (its pretty thick) and they just crawl all over it. Some even are content under it, but it does attract some of the flake food, so its easier to scavenge for them. I also planted some spiral bambo that was in my 120 gallon in the 20 gallon for chuckles. I removed the aerator, cut some socks up and streched them over the filter intakes so the little guys cant get sucked up. New pictures will come tomorrow.

[looney417]

if you can't find anyone who wants them. they're about 7.99/lb flavored and cooked.

[Nue]

if you can't find anyone who wants them. they're about 7.99/lb flavored and cooked.

Yuck! :hitting: