These adult MALE crayfish and are currently approx 5-6 INCHES in length.

Please do NOT put them in an aquarium with fish that are likely to make a meal of them!

Please bear in mind that crayfish can grow to 8+ inches in captivity.

Do not keep with slow moving fish, snails, shrimp, crabs or catfish as the crayfish is likely to make a meal of them!

Behaviour & Tankmates

When fully grown, crayfish are highly territorial creatures, only coming together to mate. In captivity, the aquarium is often a very small area for an adult crayfish to occupy.

 As a general rule each crayfish should be provided with at least 2 foot of aquarium length for its territory (3 feet is better.) A territory should be clearly defined with rocks, flowerpots, tubes and bogwood with an area of ‘open water’ or bare gravel before the beginning of the next territory.

Most crayfish can look after themselves. With a maximum size of approximately 7 inches, the Red Claw is quite a formidable tankmate in the aquarium. Do not keep crayfish with large or aggressive fish, puffers, crabs, snails (sometimes ok) and shrimps.

The Law

It is against UK law to keep any other species of crayfish in captivity. The Red Claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) is the only one you can keep legally. If you are unable to keep it, sell it or destroy it, NEVER release it into the wild.

Water Quality

The water conditions for crayfish are similar to any other freshwater invertebrate. They will not tolerate prolonged periods in water that has high levels of ammonia or nitrite. For these reasons, crayfish are best added to established aquaria of no less than 6 months old.

Aquarium Environment

Crayfish love to dig themselves pits and burrows under rocks, wood and other aquarium ornaments. They also have a habit of digging up live plants! A shady recluse is appreciated, such as an upturned flowerpot or ceramic pipe.

Crayfish can climb very well. In the wild they can spend prolonged periods out of the water crawling around for pastures new! For these reasons it is important that your aquarium has a tightly fitting lid.

Temperature & pH

The temperature range for tropical crayfish is between 20-28 Degrees Celcius, with a preferred temperature of 24. To prevent shell erosion, the pH of the water should be above 7.0 and no higher than 8.0.

Feeding

Crayfish should be fed a varied diet, with both meat and plant based foods. The mixed premium pellet selection is a great way to give a varied and balanced diet to your Crays. They also relish the premium algae pellets. 

Crayfish should be given a regular calcium supplement to ensure healthy and strong exoskeleton growth. SnailStrong Liquid Calcium will ensure they will receive enough of this mineral in the aquarium.

Crayfish will shed their exoskeleton as they grow - it is common to mistake a shed skin for a dead crayfish! They will often eat their old skin to replenish lost minerals.