Crayfish Aquarium Care

Crayfish are some of the most unique freshwater animals you can keep in a home aquarium. With a lifespan of two to three years, these colorful crustaceans are fun to show to visitors and interesting and rewarding to care for. Like any pet, they need careful care to ensure they live long, healthy lives.

  1. Tank Size and Setup

    • A 10- to 15-gallon tank is a suitable size for a single crayfish, and experts don't recommend housing more than one unless you have a much larger tank, around the 40-gallon size. Crayfish are aggressive and territorial and will fight and kill any competition in the same small tank. Use gravel or sand as the tank substrate, and provide the crayfish with plenty of crevices, large rocks, caverns, and other places to satisfy their desire to dig, burrow, and hide. Use plastic plants for decoration, as crayfish will eat live plants.

    Filter and Water

    • Use a quality filter just like you would in a fish tank, and change the filter every few months. Crayfish live in cold water environments, so a heater should not be needed. Change 25 percent to 50 percent of the water every week to keep it clean, and add dechlorinator to the tank before adding any new water. Also, add two to three drops of liquid calcium per each 10 gallons of water, which will help the crayfish's shell develop.

    Food

    • Crayfish can eat vegetative matter such as plants and commercial fish foods or algae. You can also introduce fresh fruits and vegetables into their diets like peas, carrots, leafy lettuce, spinach, squash, potato and raisins. Check the tank a few hours after feeding fresh foods to remove any leftovers that may spoil. You can also buy small live fish, which the crayfish will expertly catch and eat.

    Molting

    • As crayfish grow, they shed their outer skeleton to grow a new, larger one. When you see your crayfish changing color slightly and hiding in a cave, do not change the water or clean the tank until it has molted its shell. Then, if the crayfish doesn't eat its old shell, remove it from the tank and resume cleaning the water.