Crayfish

Crayfish, also known as crawfish, crawdads, and mudbugs, are lovable crustaceans that make excellent pets.^[1] All you need to take care of one is the right tank, ample food, and more than a bit of love and time. They make great pets because they're so fun to watch, as they move around the tank, try (and mostly fail) to eat other fish, and build little hills and mounds for their homes. If you want to know how to truly take care of a crayfish, then see Step 1 to get started.

PART 1

1

Get your crayfish. You can easily find a crayfish at a tropical fish store or another pet store. You can get a red crayfish for 1-3 dollars, while more high-end crayfish, like the blue crayfish, can cost 20 dollars or more. You can always go on reputable websites to find even more rare and exotic crayfish, but they could end up costing you as much as 100 dollars. You can start by getting just one of these critters and getting him used to his new home.Heck, if you live in certain parts of the United States, you can have a great time going crayfishing, looking for fish in streams or shallow bodies of water. Just get a small net, turn up some rocks, and try to make it so that the crayfish end up rapidly swimming right into your net.

2

Get the right tank for your crayfish. Crayfish need a tank with a pH of 7.0 (neutral) that has a temperature between 70–75 °F (21–24 °C). Do not use a heated aquarium for these critters. Additionally, the aquarium should have proper aeration and filtration. One crayfish needs at least 5–10 gallons (18.9–37.9 L) of water all to himself.^[2]

• It's not recommended that you put more than one crayfish in a tank, but if you do, you should make sure they have enough space to themselves, and enough places to hide. Also, if you do have multiple crayfish in one tank, make sure they are of the same species, or they are likely to kill each other.
• In addition to filter oxygenation, you'll need air bubblers or long bubble walls on your tank.
• Make sure to partially change the water each week to keep it fresh.
• You can also put your crayfish in a tank with fish, if you take the right precautions -- more on that later!
• Don't put seashells in the tank, or this can affect the pH level of the water.
• Perform regular water changes. Because crayfish have large bio-loads, do at least two water changes each week. Always use a dechlorinator when replacing water.
• Don't use an undergravel filter. Crayfish like to dig, which can jam the filter.
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3

Make the tank comfortable for your crayfish. Crayfish love to burrow, hide, and to generally be in darkness, so you have to create an environment that is conducive to this. You can add elements like a tipped-over castle, PVC pipe, rocks, or plants. They like to climb in plants, but try to get fake ones, or they may eat the real plants very quickly. They need hollowed-out rocks, gerbil pipes, or any 3-sided containers to truly feel safe, especially when they are extra vulnerable after shedding their shells.

• Try to minimize the light exposure the tank gets, because crayfish are much more comfortable with the lights out.

4

Feed your crayfish. Crayfish need to have a sinking pellet food as a staple. Sinking shrimp pellets are perfect. They also like to eat vegetables as well as any decaying matter. Since fish eat shrimp pellets too, make sure you drop enough of the pellets around the crayfish's hiding place that he can get to them. He may also eat some regular fish food flakes if they make it his way, but this is not enough for him.

• When it comes to veggies, they can eat cabbage leafs, zucchini medallions, or shelled peas.
• They can also eat some frozen foods, such as daphnia, blood worms, frozen fish, and brine shrimp.
• Cooked chicken can also make for a great occasional treat.
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