How to Feed Water Monitor Crayfish

Keeping crayfish serves many valuable purposes due to the animals ease of care and versatility. While simple enough to capture in the wild, captive crayfish make an accessible food source and are bred with little trouble which ensures a steady supply. Outside of consumption, these crustaceans make active and low-maintenance pets which suits them equally to life as pets in a home or a classroom exhibit. A few simple steps for water and feeding maintain healthy crayfish.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquatic tank
  • Thermometer
  • Water testing kit
  • Vegetables
  • Sinking pellet food (Tetra Tabimin)
  • Food scraps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a tank designed to hold water, available for fish at pet stores. Crayfish will survive out of water as long as their gills stay wet, but they live entirely underwater and do not require land in their tank.

    • 2

      Fill the tank with freshwater. Although not picky about the water conditions, most species survive best in cool, hard water with a high pH level, ideally between 7.5 and 8.5 pH. Water that is too soft does not contain enough minerals for the crayfish to As far as temperature is concerned, crayfish can survive in lower temperatures, but do not tolerate warm or hot water. A temperature range of 65 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect. To keep tank temperature and pH levels in range, a water testing kit and an in-tank thermometer are required.

    • 3

      Feed the crayfish a small amount of food every other day. Since adult crayfish do not require lots of protein in their diet, it is best to feed them predominately vegetables such as lettuce, dried seaweed, peas and carrots. These animals are not picky eaters, and vegetable table scraps make an excellent food source. Crayfish are feed by simply dropping the food into the tank.

    • 4

      Supplement the crayfish diet with sinking pellets of shrimp or algae and fish food. Give your crayfish an occasional protein food such as freeze-dried or frozen fish, krill, worms or squid. Fish or insects, dead or alive, make excellent protein supplements. Remember to not overfeed the crayfish, otherwise the excess food will sit and rot.

    • 5

      Observe the crayfish while they molt. If the process seems too difficult for them, which may kill them, make sure the pH level is not too soft and add a half dose of iodine drops to the tank once a week. These drops, designed for marine tank usage, are available at a pet store.