Aquarium crayfish: what are and how to contain them?

Aquarium crayfish are interesting, unusual and very active pets that can significantly diversify the life of a wildlife lover. These representatives of the arthropod order adapt well to living conditions in an artificial reservoir. Even a novice aquarist can cope with the task of breeding them. Choosing the right pets is also easy - in the world there are more than 100 species that can exist in captivity. True, the life of an arthropod is small - about 2-5 years.

To properly organize the content of marble crayfish and other species in the aquarium, it is worthwhile to study the habits and needs of future pets. How to feed them at home, how to provide conditions for breeding? What species are suitable for captive, can they share the habitat with fish? Only after receiving answers to these questions, you can acquire and populate new residents in the aquarium.

Aquarium crayfish - bright representatives of the arthropod order, able to live in an artificially created environment. Usually these are dwarf species, growing up to 10-20 cm in length, characterized by a peaceful, calm character. The cancers that live in the aquarium are also called decorative for their predominant bright color and unsuitability for food.

Such a variety of arthropods in the wild are found in more than 100 species. Their characteristics:

• live in freshwater bodies of water;
• prefer flowing areas that are well saturated with oxygen;
• demonstrate a high level of physical activity;
• have a need for molting;
• have a diverse body color - from brown-green to bright pink;
• breathe mainly by gills, receiving oxygen from water;
• sensitive to the level of water pollution;
• Feel the need for a cool environment (up to + 16-22 degrees);
• eat mainly plant foods (up to 90% of the diet);
• lead a nocturnal lifestyle.

There are many types of aquarium crayfish. It is worth considering the most interesting types in more detail.

Extremely rare crustacean speciesfound in Europe. He prefers to stay in freshwater and plant foods. In an aquarium, crayfish can switch to protein nutrition, bloodworms, raw meat. Offspring may have a bright red, yellow, orange body color.

Unusual blue crayfish with a greenish tint of chitin prefer to inhabit warm shallow reservoirs with fresh water. Representatives of this species are quite large, they grow up to 20 cm in length. Among other characteristic features of the appearance, bright red stripes on the claws can be noted. Australian crayfish are omnivorous, can absorb both plant and animal feed.

Another blue cancer that when changing habitat can change the hue of the shell from pale blue to deep brown. Adults reach 15 cm in length, with sufficient nutrition are not aggressive towards fish. The life expectancy of Cuban cancer is about 3 years.

This wild type of cancer in the natural environment reaches a shell length of 25 cm, which makes it not the most convenient pet for home keeping. Arthropod prefers exclusively protein foods, actively hunts, not suitable for keeping with fish and smaller animals.

Aquarium cancer, in the chitinous cover of which a juicy orange color prevails. When grown in captivity, females reach larger sizes than males. Wherein representatives of the species are vegetarians who do not consume animal protein. They are unpretentious in content. Mexican crayfish get along well with other representatives of the aquarium fauna.

These decorative crayfish were born thanks to painstaking selection. In nature, their river brother has a brown color. The body of this arthropod has a deep blue color, turns pale in the tail. Individuals are quite small in size - no more than 10 cm in length.

Dwarf cancer found in natural habitats in the lakes of North America. On the dorsal part of the shell of this crustacean there is a characteristic black spot. The compact size allows you to contain arthropods with fish, without risking their lives. The content of Louisiana cancer is unpretentious, content with the remains of algae, decomposing fish bodies.

A bright red hue of the shell distinguishes this crustacean from representatives of other species. Arthropod serves as a real decoration of the aquarium, in addition to decorativeness, has high activity, including in the daytime. When kept in captivity, it is imperative to provide control over access to the exit from the tank.

Crayfish quite easily leave the open aquarium. The body length of an adult animal is about 14 cm.

Marble crab got its name due to the unusual black-brown color. These compact arthropods reach a body length of up to 13 cm, are unpretentious in content, suitable for co-colonization with medium-sized fish. A beautiful shell color is formed in adult animals, young animals have a less bright shade of chitinous cover. Marble crayfish need a mandatory presence in the diet of protein foods, it helps to ensure the full development of individuals during the growth period.

A distinctive feature of this species is that all its individuals are exclusively females. For breeding they do not need a partner. Marble crayfish is found in Australia and is called yabbi in the native language.

Aquarium crayfish can be kept in the aquarium without much hassle. Caring for them at home consists of regular feeding and ensuring a safe living environment. Of particular importance is the type and quality of the soil. For individuals caught in the river, it will be necessary to equip a tank with a sandy bottom and aquatic plants. Pets grown under artificial conditions can be kept without abundant vegetation.

The minimum volume of the aquarium for the content of decorative crayfish is 70 liters. If there are several individuals, it is better to give preference to a tank of 100-120 liters. The following points are important for keeping crayfish.

• The formation of a layer of soil at the bottom. Its thickness should be at least 60 mm, the structure should be soft and loose. In this case, the crayfish will comfortably dig holes for themselves, shelters. The optimal solution is brick crumb, river pebbles, artificial filler. It is permissible to use soaked expanded clay.
• Placing at the bottom of snags, plants with raised roots. In their locations, the crayfish dig their shelters. In the absence of thickets, arthropods in the aquarium feel uncomfortable and anxious. Even with decorative artificial shelters, the crayfish will still try to bury the body deeper into the ground.
• Use of plants. Crayfish actively cut and eat them. That is why you need to choose plants with the most developed and powerful root system, large leaf size for the aquarium with them. A suitable option would be cryptocorynes, apognetones.
• High quality water filtration. Cancers are sensitive to clean living conditions, especially in a closed ecosystem, where inadequate care can lead to outbreaks of bacterial infections. Biological filters cannot cope with cleaning tasks - you must buy and install additional and quite powerful equipment. If the permissible level of microbes is exceeded, it is necessary to change the water. Under normal conditions, this procedure is required no more than 1 time per month.
• Control over the hydrochemical parameters of the medium. Optimum temperature values ​​are considered indicators of 20-26 degrees Celsius. The acidity of the water should vary between pH 5-8. Stiffness is not of radical importance, but too low parameters negatively affect the course of the molting period.

Growing aquarium crayfish is inextricably linked to this natural process. Arthropods continue to grow all their lives, periodically getting rid of the old chitinous cover. It is during molting that the crustacean acquires a new carapace that reliably protects it from the attacks of enemies. But the behavior of pets during this period of time is very different from normal.

Shedding crayfish should be kept separate from other animals or fish., because they become sedentary and especially vulnerable to external influences. To wait, arthropods choose a secluded shelter and almost stop moving, being active.Having discarded the old cover, the crayfish gradually build up a new one, replenishing the calcium reserves by eating the old chitinous membrane - this is a natural process, it does not need to interfere. A new shell will grow in 7-10 days.

In the first year of life, cancers molt quite often. On average, this process is repeated every 2 months. Adult animals grow much more slowly. Their molting takes place every 6 months. It removes the old arthropod cover in a few minutes.

In the natural environment, crayfish are almost omnivorous, but despite their predatory nature, are mainly vegetarians. You can feed them in captivity with almost any natural food that does not contain chemical and artificial additives. To create a balanced diet, ready-made feed for crustaceans from the pet store is suitable. During molting, arthropods feed most abundantly, they require additional additives in the form of tableted plant food and calcium.

It is useful to give crayfish natural algae, plants, fresh vegetables - cucumbers, zucchini, cut into small pieces. Frozen shrimp are used as protein supplements. But their number should be strictly regulated, since with an abundance of animal food, crustaceans begin to show aggression. Also, when kept with small fish, larger arthropods often feed on them, exhibiting natural instincts. Crayfish are fed once during the day.

The compatibility of aquarium crayfish with fish can be called very conditional. In the neighborhood with other inhabitants of the aquarium, the following things can happen.

• Crayfish can suffer from stress and lack of food. Especially often this happens during life side by side with cichlids - a large aggressive neighbor will deprive arthropods of peace and food. In the future, crayfish will only die if they are not timely relocated to a separate aquarium.
• Arthropods can endure competition in seeking shelter. Catfish have similar tastes in choosing a temporary shelter. It is they who most often enter the battle with the crayfish for a safe haven and emerge victorious by virtue of larger sizes.
• Crayfish can eat other aquarium inhabitants. Crayfish consider most of the small fish as food — threatened by guppies, neons, and similar species.
• Crayfish can spoil the fins, violating the aesthetics of the appearance of neighbors. It is not recommended to place crayfish with the owners of long decorative "jewelry". Tails and fins can be affected by their claws.

Objectively assessing all the pros and cons of the neighborhood, we can conclude that crayfish are not created for a safe and safe neighborhood with fish. If possible, they should be kept in a separate aquarium, otherwise the predator instinct will cause arthropods to attack smaller neighbors. At the same time, the cancer itself may well suffer from fish attacks, especially during molting, when its shell is still quite soft. In addition, they are also dangerous for plants - by cutting them with claws, arthropods eat fresh food, but quite quickly destroy all green spaces in the aquarium.

Among the species ready for the neighborhood with other inhabitants of the artificial “house”, the following crayfish can be noted:

• blue Cuban, he is reputed to be the most peaceful;
• red or blue Florida (if you use plastic plants);
• zebra
• Australian red claw.

When keeping fish and crayfish together, it is very important to create an optimal environment for all species. To do this, you need a spacious aquarium with a capacity of at least 100 liters. It is necessary to select its inhabitants in approximately the same weight and size categories.

Inside, it is necessary to provide a sufficient number of secluded shelters - the coconut shell, pipes and fragments of clay pots, piles of natural stones look spectacular. Instead of natural plants, artificial analogues are used in the crayfish aquarium.

For the maintenance of crayfish, it is necessary to use well-filtered and purified water. To exclude the possibility of arthropods leaving the aquarium, it is necessary to cover it with glass, leaving a minimum clearance for air exchange. To share fish it is better to choose young crayfish.

Even an inexperienced aquarist can successfully breed crayfish of the most exotic species. To successfully carry out the necessary manipulations, you will only need to plant heterosexual individuals in the tank, 2 females per male (he can eat one after mating). Breeding can be carried out from the age of 3 months. It is during this period that the cancers reach puberty. In males, the appearance of bright red stripes on the surface of claws serves as an indicator of readiness for reproduction.

The ability to reproduce in crayfish is especially high in the period after the completion of molting. At this time, pheromones are released in females - active substances that allow attracting representatives of the opposite sex. During the marriage ritual, individuals of different sexes make contact with the antennas, this process lasts about 120 minutes. Next, the female should be deposited in a separate tank.

Egg laying is done by crayfish on 20-25 days after mating. For the period of gestation, the female must create special conditions, provide shelter, protect from dangers. After birth, the babies are molted on the abdomen of the mother, they are helpless, need separate maintenance. After the crayfish receive their second chitinous cover, they are separated from the mother.

In the next video you will find useful information about aquarium crayfish.