Just felt like throwing a question out there. Maybe soemone can help . ive done some searching and finaly identified several of my crays which are the same species. i have two white river crays which look like normal browns. i think 5 cherax quadricarinatus which are know as red claws. theyre blues but with red accents on their pincers and some cobalt blues. im still looking up several of em because they dont appear to have the same color or characteristics as the rest. heres my question. i know you are not suppose to cross breed diff species of crays but i turned on my tank late last night at about 4:00am and caught one of the red claws "mating" with a red cave cray that i have. so i have a blue and a red doing the love dance at night. ive read in several crayfish forums post reports and websites that 9/10 or greater the fry from a mating between crays carries the males genes or genetics whichever way you want to put it. if the fry turn out two be two color crays with some wild color on em is this good or bad? have i started a new species or hybrid or done something wrong? just curious
CrayFish Anyone?
- Thread starter cnote
- Start date
Just started my 10 gallon recently. 8 Ghost Shrimp, 1 Wood/ Singapore Flower Shrimp, and 2 regular Crayfish (Not sure of the actual name). I want to get some of those real pretty ones like the blues and what not!
Quitre a few crayfish will turn blue under flourescent lights, so don't be surprised if they turn blue with their first molt.
Also don't be surprised that your shrimp start disappearing, crays will eat anything they can catch.
Also don't be surprised that your shrimp start disappearing, crays will eat anything they can catch.
Oh, I know. The Crayfish I have are very small. And as for the Ghost Shrimp...I work at an LFS so they're no big deal
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The shrimp aren't a good idea. Many shrimp harbor an infectious disease that's inconsequential to the shrimp but fatal for the crayfish.
The hybrids would only be possible if they are within the same genus (I think that's what I mean), for example a Cherax quad X Cherax destructor. However you should keep in mind that even if they mate the eggs may not be fertile. A female in berry will have black eggs if fertile, white if infertile. And should they be fertile there is the usual morbidity to go by (50% of the fry will die in the first moult), and of course any fish you have in the tank will eat the babies, as will the parents, any other crays in the tank, and the babies will also cannibalize one another.
But, as with all things, it is possible!
The hybrids would only be possible if they are within the same genus (I think that's what I mean), for example a Cherax quad X Cherax destructor. However you should keep in mind that even if they mate the eggs may not be fertile. A female in berry will have black eggs if fertile, white if infertile. And should they be fertile there is the usual morbidity to go by (50% of the fry will die in the first moult), and of course any fish you have in the tank will eat the babies, as will the parents, any other crays in the tank, and the babies will also cannibalize one another.
But, as with all things, it is possible!
Thanks Alot traci i appreciate the help. ive raised fry before but havent had any real luck. the first time i didnt do much research on the incubating and how to seperate the fry and they definitely mad some good lunch for the other crays. the secondtime around i mounted a observation tank inside my 30 with the fry just a few days old. low and behold a brown tarzan cray climbed the air line and hopped in. lunch time. i was gone for that week and the wife didnt think much of it. =o(
anyways i was curious i have pretty good "common" knowledge of crays but not in depth ie. species and what have you. i need to get a digital and post some pics i have a few beauties. i just bought two browns today. im not too particularly fond of brown crayfish i like them with some color. i couldnt resist these i havent seen them before with the expection of ww.crayfishworld.com the male i got has a HUGE pincer looks like he can crack walnuts with it and i got him a female friend for those lonely nights lol anyways thanks for the info.
anyways i was curious i have pretty good "common" knowledge of crays but not in depth ie. species and what have you. i need to get a digital and post some pics i have a few beauties. i just bought two browns today. im not too particularly fond of brown crayfish i like them with some color. i couldnt resist these i havent seen them before with the expection of ww.crayfishworld.com the male i got has a HUGE pincer looks like he can crack walnuts with it and i got him a female friend for those lonely nights lol anyways thanks for the info.
I'm also by no means an expert and defer to those with more experience. 
I've been in the hobby about a year now. All of mine are blues, but I am considering other possibilities for native tank.
Everything I know I learned from Bob Adams and all the other folks at bluecrayfish.com
I've been in the hobby about a year now. All of mine are blues, but I am considering other possibilities for native tank.
Everything I know I learned from Bob Adams and all the other folks at bluecrayfish.com
