My Crawdad Won't Come Out

[TheIrishJedi]

I think I scared my crawdad last night. He usually is out and about all the time, but when I changed the water he went under his broken pot and won't come out, not even to eat (he is alive). My water temp is hovering at 78-80 degrees. Is this too hot for him?

I also added some tank buddies. 4 ghost shrimp for him to eat and 2 neon tetras. Are they skittish around other fish?

 

[black_sun]

Do you know what species you have?

78-80 is too high for some species, and yet fine for others (if you don't know the species, I'd suggest lowering it to the mid 70's).
(also, be careful with warmer water tanks and bottom dwelling creatures. The water has less ability to hold oxygen at higher temperatures, and unlike say a catfish or loach, the crayfish doesn't have the ability to just swim up to the top of the tank for a gulp of air if the aeration is poor. Poor aeration can cause either frantic escaping behavior or very sluggish behavior in crayfish.)

Also, remove the shrimp as soon as possible. Crayfish should never be fed other crustaceans of any kind, especially shrimp. Shrimp (commercial and pet) often contain diseases like WSSV which is fatal when contracted by crayfish (contracted through eating the shrimp). If you'd like to feed your crayfish shrimp or other crustaceans, you need to find foods that were processed and freeze-dried or cooked at very high temperatures first to ensure that things like microscopic parasites, WSSV and Aphanomyces astaci (all are fatal when contracted) have been destroyed.

That aside, again, depending on the species. Some crayfish can be skittish around other tankmates. It can even be an individual's personality to be skittish. But ghost shrimp and tetras are very small by comparison to most crayfish, they shouldn't really be a concern for it unless you have a small juvenile.

Perhaps the water change just startled it a bit too much and it's still recovering from the sudden intrusion of of things in it's tank.

 

[TheIrishJedi]

Do you know what species you have?

78-80 is too high for some species, and yet fine for others (if you don't know the species, I'd suggest lowering it to the mid 70's).
(also, be careful with warmer water tanks and bottom dwelling creatures. The water has less ability to hold oxygen at higher temperatures, and unlike say a catfish or loach, the crayfish doesn't have the ability to just swim up to the top of the tank for a gulp of air if the aeration is poor. Poor aeration can cause either frantic escaping behavior or very sluggish behavior in crayfish.)

Also, remove the shrimp as soon as possible. Crayfish should never be fed other crustaceans of any kind, especially shrimp. Shrimp (commercial and pet) often contain diseases like WSSV which is fatal when contracted by crayfish (contracted through eating the shrimp). If you'd like to feed your crayfish shrimp or other crustaceans, you need to find foods that were processed and freeze-dried or cooked at very high temperatures first to ensure that things like microscopic parasites, WSSV and Aphanomyces astaci (all are fatal when contracted) have been destroyed.

That aside, again, depending on the species. Some crayfish can be skittish around other tankmates. It can even be an individual's personality to be skittish. But ghost shrimp and tetras are very small by comparison to most crayfish, they shouldn't really be a concern for it unless you have a small juvenile.

Perhaps the water change just startled it a bit too much and it's still recovering from the sudden intrusion of of things in it's tank.

I'll consider removing the shrimp from the tank. Thank you for that tip.

How do I get oxygen to the bottom of the tank and how much will it cost ( i have a 10 gallon tank atm).

As for species, I have no idea. He was bought at Feeder's Supply under the name "Freshwater Lobster" for $1.99.

 

[black_sun]

If you have good flow in your tank, you probably are getting enough oxygen. However, if you aren't sure of the flow or know it isn't strong... you can buy an air stones, bubble walls, etc. Or you can lower the level of your water so that the flwo from the filter creates a larger disruption on the water surface when the water comes back into the tank. (Even with a good flow, you may want to keep an air stone or the like in the tank just because of the warmer temperature. The small ones are good and fairly inexpensive at most stores)

Ah, the feeders. Could be any number of species... (to ID crays you need shots of the claws, areola, gonopods if it's a male, and side of the carapace... such a hassle sometimes lol). Most of them make really good pets. ^_^ That one is really cute, too. Anyway, try putting some plants in there. If it is getting skittish, the plants provide some extra cover and reassurance for the cray.

 

[BoCoMo]

He forgot to mention that he is using the crawdad to cycle the tank.

What are the water parameters? He may be sick...

 

[TheIrishJedi]

He forgot to mention that he is using the crawdad to cycle the tank.

What are the water parameters? He may be sick...

Just tested the water.

Temp 78 Degrees
pH: 7.8
Ammonia 1.0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10 (looks to be between 5-10)

I did a 30% water change. My Ammonia was up since I added those extra fish, I believe. I'll test again Sat. evening and if it is still up I'll do another water change.

The crawdad was out and about tonight when I got off work. He feasted on my pregnant mama shrimp wned:as I saw part of her carcass floating around. When I came in he ran back under his pot, but I see him cleaning himself (I guess) quite ferociously. So I'm glad to see he's hanging in there.

So far, I am really liking this aquarium thing! :thm:

I am dreading my first disaster, however.

Ah, the feeders. Could be any number of species... (to ID crays you need shots of the claws, areola, gonopods if it's a male, and side of the carapace... such a hassle sometimes lol). Most of them make really good pets. ^_^ That one is really cute, too. Anyway, try putting some plants in there. If it is getting skittish, the plants provide some extra cover and reassurance for the cray.

How long can they be outside of water? I will try to get you some detailed shots of him.

As for buying more things, my budget is really crunched this week. Just bought a new gun, then this tank and stuff.

 

[black_sun]

Just tested the water.

Temp 78 Degrees
pH: 7.8

Take down your pH, the closer you broach 8, the more likely it is to cause issues for your crayfish. Aim for 7.4 - 7.6 if you're going to be cray keeping.

How long can they be outside of water? I will try to get you some detailed shots of him.

Depends on the crayfish and the conditions they came from, sometimes a few hours, sometimes a full day. Be careful when re-introducing a crayfish to a tank that's been out of the water for a while. Sometimes air gets trapped in their shell and merely placing them back in the tank just suffocates them (it traps the air around their gills). The next time it escapes (if you're not planning on cray-proofing your tank for escapes), place it in a tupperware with the water about half way up it's body. And then over the course of an hour or two, slowly add water until it completely covers the crayfish. This helps get any air out and then it can be successfully added back to the tank.

 

[TheIrishJedi]

Take down your pH, the closer you broach 8, the more likely it is to cause issues for your crayfish. Aim for 7.4 - 7.6 if you're going to be cray keeping.

I've been thinking about that. How do I lower pH? It has been consistently that high since I started the tank and no matter how many water changes I do, it does not go lower.

 

[black_sun]

I've been thinking about that. How do I lower pH? It has been consistently that high since I started the tank and no matter how many water changes I do, it does not go lower.

I use a product called "Neutral Regulator", which if you follow the exact portions in the directions, it will bring your pH to 7.0 (I don't, I don't want it at 7.0 so I've tweaked it here and there for the various tanks to get it to the pH levels I want). You can also put driftwood in your tank, that will lower your pH levels without adding "chemicals" to your tank. A lot of driftwood, though, and you'll have the exact opposite problem. My favorite tank, I'm always fighting with the water because the amount of driftwood in there keeps my tank between 6.8 - 7.2, ugh.

I'm sure there's plenty of other things you can do, but you'll need the others to help there. I'm the master of jerry-rigging things, which isn't always the best way to go, haha.

 

[BoCoMo]

Is he still doing well? You should be fine as long as you keep up those water changes! Good Luck! :thumbsup: