What native sunfish are you planning? There's only a few species that'll work in a 20H.
Unidentified Crayfish care.
- Thread starter powellmacaque
- Start date
What native sunfish are you planning? There's only a few species that'll work in a 20H.
Looks like a young Procambarus alleni to me, they are very common in North America. They can become very aggressive towards any type of tank mate. I've had some that were ultra aggressive and others that never harmed anything. They do dig and destroy living plants. They also get very large, and need a least a 20L tank. They are very hardy, and can easily handle a range of temps, and water hardness levels. However, once it's acclimated, try to keep the water chemistry consistent.
When it comes to sexing a P. alleni, you have to study shape of the adult claws, or the faster way is to look for gonopods. They are two tiny appendages, under 1/4" long on an adult, at the end of the thorax, just behind the last walking legs and before the swimmerets. Females will not have gonopods. If you ever want to breed this species, you should plan on having three tanks. One for the adult male, one for the adult female, and another nursery tank. When you want to mate the adults, make sure that you put the female in the male's tank. An adult female will look at a strange male, in her territory, as an invader and attack. The male will see a strange female as an opportunity to get lucky.
When it comes to sexing a P. alleni, you have to study shape of the adult claws, or the faster way is to look for gonopods. They are two tiny appendages, under 1/4" long on an adult, at the end of the thorax, just behind the last walking legs and before the swimmerets. Females will not have gonopods. If you ever want to breed this species, you should plan on having three tanks. One for the adult male, one for the adult female, and another nursery tank. When you want to mate the adults, make sure that you put the female in the male's tank. An adult female will look at a strange male, in her territory, as an invader and attack. The male will see a strange female as an opportunity to get lucky.
I vote for marbled cray, though there's room for doubt, because their self-cloning ability makes them great crays to be feeders. If they are alleni, however, then you should keep it alone because of its aggressiveness.
Blue-spotted Sunfish, Enneacanthus gloriosus. They only get to be a bout 3" long.
Looks like a young Procambarus alleni to me, they are very common in North America. They can become very aggressive towards any type of tank mate. I've had some that were ultra aggressive and others that never harmed anything. They do dig and destroy living plants. They also get very large, and need a least a 20L tank. They are very hardy, and can easily handle a range of temps, and water hardness levels. However, once it's acclimated, try to keep the water chemistry consistent.
When it comes to sexing a P. alleni, you have to study shape of the adult claws, or the faster way is to look for gonopods. They are two tiny appendages, under 1/4" long on an adult, at the end of the thorax, just behind the last walking legs and before the swimmerets. Females will not have gonopods. If you ever want to breed this species, you should plan on having three tanks. One for the adult male, one for the adult female, and another nursery tank. When you want to mate the adults, make sure that you put the female in the male's tank. An adult female will look at a strange male, in her territory, as an invader and attack. The male will see a strange female as an opportunity to get lucky.
Thanks for the info. A 20H is too small? I must have misread an article about these crays because I thought 20Hs were acceptable, but I'll take your word for it. The allenis are the same species as the "electric blue" crayfish, correct?
I'm not too concerned with breeding as I don't have too much space for that type of setup, but would the cray bother "tougher" tank mates, like cichlids, sunfish, armored cats, etc? Even if I create "zones" with my tank decorations?
Sounguru
Guru at being an expert
Procambarus Clarkii - Procambarus clarkii is a freshwater crayfish species, native to the Southeastern United States, but found also on other continents, where it is often an invasive pest. It is known variously as the red swamp crawfish, red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish, Louisiana crayfish or mudbug.
Check your state laws and make sure you can even keep them in WA. they are banned...
So you ask how I know well...
Baby first 3 photos .. Mid juvie just beginning to show the red ... Bad boy at full size...
He/She will eat every plant in the tank and try to take walks.. I lost mine and he is probably still under the fridge or the oven if the dogs didn't get him...
erv:
Check your state laws and make sure you can even keep them in WA. they are banned...
So you ask how I know well...
Baby first 3 photos .. Mid juvie just beginning to show the red ... Bad boy at full size...
He/She will eat every plant in the tank and try to take walks.. I lost mine and he is probably still under the fridge or the oven if the dogs didn't get him...
erv:
Sounguru
Guru at being an expert
Side note I forgot... I got mine in a shipment of feeders too and they are raised for feeders for fish and humans also as bait for the fishing industry in mass quantities... When someone offers you crayfish gumbo this is the gray you are getting...
The 20H isn't ideal for an adult non dwarf crayfish, they really benefit from the extra space provided by the 20L. Crayfish are benthic, meaning they live on the bottom of rivers, streams, and ponds... So, when considering the appropriate tank, they need plenty of room to walk. You will also need a tank that has a full cover, probably weighted down. Crayfish can easily climb out of tanks.
P. alleni has multiple color morphs, red, blue, brown, and white.
As for tank mates, while the crayfish is young, the cichlids will probably kill it. When the crayfish is full grown, nothing is safe.
Don't plan on your tank decor staying the same.
Sounguru,
It is possible that powellmacaque has a P. clarkii. I based my identification on the second picture. The second reference picture that was posted, I would say definitively is an alleni. This is based on the exoskeleton plate lines on the back of the thorax. The P. clarkii has two side plates that touch at the top of the thorax (technically the head, but often called the back). The P. alleni has a narrow gap because the plates never touch.
Here's a link to a picture that clearly illustrates what I'm talking about. The link is to a thread at the bluecrayfish.com forum.
powellmacaque,
In either case, the temperament of P. alleni and P. clarkii is the same.
Good luck
