In this blog, I’m going to talk about keeping crayfish as pets. I’ll discuss some tips and things I’ve learned—things to help you care for your crayfish and hopefully not make some of the same mistakes I have made.
1. Keep Your Pet Crayfish with the Right Fish Only
Crayfish are omnivores and will eat both plants and animals. By nature, crayfish are pretty aggressive. Yes, this means they will eat the other fish in your tank if given the opportunity. They will also eat other crayfish as well. My pet crayfish constantly chases my other fish and is always on the hunt.
When I was first getting started keeping crayfish as pets, I made mistakes. One of those mistakes was keeping the wrong types of tank mates with my crayfish. These fish were soon eaten by my first crayfish, an electric blue crayfish. So make sure you don’t put the wrong types of fish in a tank with your crayfish. Instead, select fish that work well with crayfish—good tankmates.
Ultimately, you want to select fish that swim near the top of the tank, are fast, and freshwater fish that are mildly aggressive.
Fish that work well with crayfish:
- Danios
- Tetras
- Barbs
- Hatchet Fish
- Red-tail Sharks
- Rainbow Sharks
2. The Right Tank Size: Key When Keeping Crayfish as Pets
One of the most important things to consider when keeping crayfish as pets is your fish tank size. Crayfish are very dirty and put out a lot of waste. If you keep a crayfish in a tank that is too small, and you have other fish, your fish tank can become very dirty and may experience algae overgrowth and other issues.
From my personal experience, I suggest at least a 20-gallon fish tank when keeping crayfish as pets. If you plan on keeping other fish, I’d suggest a good filter and a 55-gallon tank.
Tank Size and Other Fish
A larger tank doesn’t just solve the problem of keeping your tank clean, but it also gives other aquatic life, and your pet crayfish, more room to roam about. This is a good thing. It can save (prolong) the lives of your other aquatic life and give crayfish pets the space they need.
3. Clean the Fish Tank Often When Keeping Crayfish as Pets
Since crayfish produce a lot of waste, you’ll want to clean your pet crayfish’s tank often. Cleaning a fish tank on a regular schedule will greatly reduce the build-up of algae in your fish tank. Once algae gets out of control, it can be hard to get rid of.
I have a 20-gallon aquarium now with a blue crayfish and a neon tetra. Currently, I do 25% water changes every two weeks and sometimes even more if I notice that my tank is looking a little more dirty than normal. So, come up with a cleaning schedule for your tank, but always be ready to do additional water changes as needed. Dirty fish tanks aren’t just ugly, but they are unhealthy for your fish.
4. Don’t Use Real Plants
In the past, when I’ve posted pictures of my fish tank on social media, some people have laughed at my plastic plants. I get it, the plants are bright pink, green, blue, etc. However, what these people may not understand is that crayfish will destroy any real plant that you place in your tank. As a matter of fact, my crayfish has actually removed some of the coatings from my plastic plants. In general though, if you want to decorate your tank, you’ll do all right with plastic plants. And, if you want to add real plants in your crayfish tank, just keep in mind there’s a good chance your crayfish will go after them at some point.
5. Get a Hideout for Your Crayfish Pet
Along with eating and hunting, crayfish like to burrow and hideout. Buying a hideout or creating a hideout out of PVC pipe is perfect for a crayfish. It’s also important for a crayfish to have a hideout for when they molt. That’s because when crayfish molt, they become susceptible to other fish in the tank because they are very soft and week.
6. Don’t Overfeed
I’ve discovered this to be a mistake made by many beginning aquarists, overfeeding. When you overfeed both your crayfish and the other life in your fish tank, the excess food just rots. This rotting of food makes fish tanks dirtier and can lead to more algae overgrowth, among other things. So don’t overfeed.
7. Crayfish and Filters
When keeping crayfish as pets, having a good water filter is a very good idea since crays are so dirty. Good aquarium filters help keep your tank’s water, and ultimately your tank, looking clean—which is great for your aquatic life.
8. Watch the Chemical Treatments
Some aquarists can be very quick to use chemicals to clean their tanks, cut back on algae, etc. As an aquarist, if you keep your crayfish tank clean, don’t overfeed, and have a good filter, your tank should be fine. Only use chemicals for clean up help when absolutely necessary.
Recap
So, as a recap, remember that keeping a crayfish as a pet will mean you need to keep them in the proper size tank. Also, if you plan on keeping other fish with your pet crayfish, make sure that you select the right types of fish, otherwise, you might just be feeding your cray a snack.
And, when it comes to your fish tank, make sure to clean it regularly, don’t overfeed your fish, and have a good water filter. Doing these three things consistently can save fish tank owners a lot of time trying to clean up messy tanks later.
Additionally, if you decide to decorate your tank, use fake plants as crayfish will totally destroy and eat your real plants.
What are your tips for keeping crayfish as pets?