How to Make a Crawfish House

Crawfish can make excellent pets. These small, freshwater creatures are also known as crayfish, crawdads, stonecrab and mud bugs. More than 150 species of crawfish can be found in a wide variety of colors. Some crawfish are as small as 1 inch, while others weigh more than 8 lbs. Many of the crawfish in the United States come from Louisiana. If you want your pet to have the best life, set up the perfect crawfish house.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Sand or small gravel
  • Hiding spots (rocks, pieces of plant pots, PVC pipe and so on)
  • Plants (real or fake)
  • Water
  • Liquid calcium (optional)
  • Food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy a 10- to 15-gallon aquarium with a filter. Since crawfish are very territorial, this size of tank is adequate for only one crawfish. Buy a larger aquarium if you plan to keep more than one crawfish.

    • 2

      Cover the bottom of the tank with sand or small gravel. Crawfish like to burrow into the ground, so make sure there is a thick enough layer for them to burrow.

    • 3

      Find objects that your crawfish can use as hiding spots and put them in the tank. Possibilities include rocks, pieces of flower pots or PVC pipe.

    • 4

      Add real or artificial plants to the aquarium. Keep in mind that the crawfish will eat the real plants. Unless you want to keep replacing plants, use artificial ones.

    • 5

      Fill your tank with water. Crawfish are cold-water creatures, so you do not have to heat the water.

    • 6

      Replace one-fourth to half of the water weekly to keep it clean. You also can add 2 to 3 three drops of liquid calcium to the tank every other day to help the crawfish when it sheds its exoskeleton. The liquid calcium will help strengthen the new exoskeleton.

    • 7

      Feed your crawfish anything from large fish flakes to small, cut-up vegetables, such as potatoes, green peas or carrots.