Dwarf Crayfish Tank

[razinski82]

Hi guys,

After 35 days of fishless water cycling, my first batch of fauna is finally in!
01 x OTTO
02 x CP
Tank specs -
dimension : 30cmx18cmx20cm(approx.)
filter : GEX S hang on filter
cooling : dymax windy4 (26~27C)
lighting : DASZ 9watt PL

Bought them from bro CherriesLover (thanks!). Awaiting for next batch. A pair of orange.
here are some pics... enjoy (pardon the bad shoot. I'm not very good at photo taking)

[anaconda]

What do you feed them?

[gonjinn]

I am not familar with crayfish but I find them fascinating! Will they attack Otto?

[razinski82]

I just feed them with shrimp pellets, anaconda.
Crayfish is a new field for me, gonjinn. No matter what I want to learn through experience (i'm just old school thinking) and some reading off from the forum . I hope they won't attack the otto. I want this to be a dwarf crayfish species tank. Then again, I still need the otto for some algea cleaning... We'll see...I bet experience keepers will share their views if you ask them...

[anaconda]

I just feed them with shrimp pellets, anaconda.
Crayfish is a new field for me, gonjinn. No matter what I want to learn through experience (i'm just old school thinking) and some reading off from the forum . I hope they won't attack the otto. I want this to be a dwarf crayfish species tank. Then again, I still need the otto for some algea cleaning... We'll see...I bet experience keepers will share their views if you ask them...

Thanks...thinking of starting one up too using the Mexican Orange Crayfish

I think you can consider Nerite or Horn snails for algae cleaning. I find them more efficient then Otto . Their shell should protect them from the crayfish

[razinski82]

oh hey thanks for reminding me of them snails. I forgot that them snails can do the job as well... Well after a few days of the dwarf crayfish i noticed they are not so fond of bright lights... So i will try to find some duckweeds to block off some light. One of them always hide beneath the driftwood. But the other likes to roam about. I think just claiming territory

[elmo]

They tends to be very shy and would only come out at night or lights out...I can only see mine during feeding time..

[Kiatster]

Hi bro, what soil did you use for the tank? Is it Gex soil? I saw some at C328 2kg 12bucks. I'm thinking of setting one CPO tank with a spare tank, very tempted to get some CPOs. =)

Regards
Kiat

[razinski82]

yes bro kiat, those are GEX soil i am using. Very nice for that natural look and they got no problem walking over it too. oh do set up and post up. I will be looking forward to it.

[ouuuigh]

very nice crayfish tank u have , i wish i have a spare tank

[bigfthing]

Hi! how's ur Dwarf Crays doing so far? I'm think of getting some too but i hope i can hv some other tankmates like some shrimp species. what do you suggest?

[eviltrain]

i once saw dwarf orange crayfish of mine grab a crs and bites its tail off. beware.

[nasty12]

i once saw dwarf orange crayfish of mine grab a crs and bites its tail off. beware.

i second that.. my Cpo even ate my crs.. =/

[razinski82]

Hi! how's ur Dwarf Crays doing so far? I'm think of getting some too but i hope i can hv some other tankmates like some shrimp species. what do you suggest?

Hi bro, sad news ... woke up this morning and one of the 2 died . Partly due to my ignorance. I saw it lifeless just at the inlet of the hang on filter. I blame myself for this. Should have bought a sponge cover for it. Sigh... so sad sia... Got to evaluate and do something about it before i get more cpos. Never assume the cpos won't get suck or stuck at the inlet even though it's a small hang on filter.

Another thing, the night before, I notice a particular behaviour too. I couldn't differentiate between male from the female but One of them keep chasing after the other(the one that pass away this morning). I saw how the one being chased try so hard to escape from it's clutches. It seems quite aggressive towards another. The one that died this morning lost it's left pincers .

Should I remove this fella before I get new cpos or is this a mating behaviour pattern?

Hmm, anyway, I read from this forum about how many shrimp casualties involving with CPOs. Thus that is why my intention is to make this a only-species tank. Aside from the otto of course. So I believe their word for it ...

[bigfthing]

Hmmm...you better go get the sponge first! so they are also quite violent huh?? I heard from a shop asst which cliams that his customer kept them with some good grade CRS & they live happily together...i got doubt...that's why i'm trying to find answer...sorry about yours but we always learn from our mistake i guess.

[praxis5624]

My crayfish has luckily caught some of my cherry shrimp while I watched and consumed them, I stopped keeping other shrimp and live plants with them because they eat them as well.

[bigfthing]

Damn!...they are supposed to be the smaller version isn't that right? What can they be house with?

[razinski82]

what can they be house with? I think I speak for experience keepers here that they can only be kept with nothing but their own species. That's why I take precaution making a only cpo species tank. Aside from my otto.

If you want to keep shrimps best to keep them in a separate tank. I think shrimps make the tank look good if shrimps are the only invertebrates species in the tank. Having shrimps and cpo together will give that no-concept look... in my honest opinion though.

I didn't notice them eating my plants. I only have that christmas moss on driftwood in my tank. Hmmm.. but it is turning brown. Thinking of replace it with other moss on driftwood. I couldn't keep my temperature lower than 26C so can't maintain my moss.

Yet to get any new cpos so the fella is solo in the tank. Will update again when I get new livestocks.

[bigfthing]

Thanx for the advise! i think i totally agreed but still wants to make sure i guess! Get Java Moss easier,not bad looking also.

[chuckytilly]

you can mix them with guramis but not smaller ones as they may get eaten. the guramis helps to chew floating pellets and those that are dropped to the bottom are food for the crayfishes. of course you can buy crayfish pellet where most will sink once in contact with water.

i used to mix thai red crabs with the crayfishes and they managed to live in peace. you would need to give them of a lot of hiding places and provide rocks or woods that the crabs can climb onto the surface to rest. in fact, they prefer to be in the surface more than in water hence this is a major reason why both parties can live in peace. do note that not to mix other species of crayfish as it would usually result in fighting. i know some people who are able to succeed in mixing different crayfishes in the same tank but its really up at your own risks.

i am not sure if your dwarf crayfish are really dwarf as they look very simliar like my red claw crayfish's babies. you may have to observe for sometime. happy keeping!