While a sponge filter is cheaper than an HOB filter, the air line leading out of the tank gives the crayfish a perfect escape route. The filtration for a crayfish should usually be a HOB (Hang-on-back) filter. While a person can certainly try to keep fish and crayfish together, it ends badly more often than not. Or alternatively, finding crayfish parts scattered across an aquarium, with a very full looking fish. There is nothing worse than losing a large, expensive fish to a crayfish over the course of a night. There are many accounts of people successfully keeping crayfish and fish together, but given enough time, either the fish or the crayfish is going to be eaten. It becomes much trickier when it comes to housing crayfish with fish. Because of this, it is very important to provide numerous hiding places and enough space for each crayfish in the aquarium – unless someone wants their crayfish to become an expensive meal for the other tank inhabitants. During this time, it will hide for a few days, so don’t be too alarmed if a crayfish disappears for a up to a week at a time. Crayfish are cannibalistic by nature, and when a crayfish moults it is nearly defenseless until its shell hardens again. If more than one crayfish is going to be housed in a tank, then a minimum of 20 gallons need to be provided. When doing water changes, you should always check for a stash of food in any of the crayfish hiding spots. On top of that, they are also messy eaters, and when coupled with hidden food, water quality can quickly decline.

Crayfish are notorious for hiding their food, and will often have a stash hidden away in a cave or flower-pot. A 5 to 10 gallon aquarium is usually more than adequate, especially if regular water changes are provided. If a crayfish is well cared for, they will usually live 2-3 years, with some species living even longer.Ī single crayfish can be kept in a relatively small aquarium. Before purchasing a crayfish, a owner should do some research to determine the crayfish species needs.

While most crayfish require cool water, some require tropical temperatures to thrive. When choosing a freshwater crayfish, it’s important to know that there are well over 100 species of crayfish from around the world. While crayfish are definitely not safe for a community fish tank, it is well worth having a tank dedicated to crayfish just to enjoy their antics. They are easy to care for, extremely hardy, and often interact with their owners. Water Conditions: PH 6.5-8 and Medium Hard to Very Hardįor anyone looking for a quirky and interesting pet, the freshwater crayfish is an excellent choice.

Favorite Son by Will Freshwater