How to Care for Wild Crayfish

Crayfish are arthropods that spend their time roving around freshwater lakes, streams, rivers and creeks. They are extremely common in the wild, and on any given day during the warmer months of the year, you may find several roaming about one small stretch of a stream. Keeping and caring for a wild crayfish you or your kids may have caught outside is a relatively easy task that requires only basic fish-keeping experience. Taking care of a wild caught crayfish is no different than taking care of a store-bought crayfish.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon aquarium with secure hood
  • Fluorescent light strip with bulb
  • 10-gallon aquarium filter
  • Sand or fine gravel
  • Rocks/other decor
  • Dechlorinator
  • Feeding tongs
  • Crayfish food (beef heart, sinking carnivore pellets, etc)
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Instructions

  1. Setting up the Tank

    • 1

      Place the tank in an area where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight. Too much sunlight will cause problematic algae that not only looks ugly but may choke the oxygen out of your aquarium water.

    • 2

      Layer the bottom of the tank with about 2 inches of fine substrate. Sand or fine gravel works best, as crayfish like to dig.

    • 3

      Place some rocks and other decor around the tank. Crayfish prefer a dark, rocky environment with plenty of hiding places for when they're feeling shy.

    • 4

      Fill the tank with fresh water and add some liquid dechlorinator. The dechlorinator will remove harmful chemicals like chlorine from the water.

    • 5

      Install the filter to the aquarium. Most 10-gallon filters hang on the back of the tank, though you may have to consult your particular's models specific instructions. Let the filter run in the tank for about two days before adding your crayfish.

    Caring for your Crayfish

    • 6

      Feed your crayfish every day using the feeding tongs. Feed it meaty foods like beef heart, freeze-dried krill or carnivore pellets. Hold the food underwater near the crayfish until it grabs it with is pincers. Only feed it as much as it can eat in a few minutes, because any leftover food will degrade into harmful ammonia.

    • 7

      Rinse out the filter cartridges under a faucet at least once a week. The filter cartridges in the catch the organic material. There should only be one for most 10-gallon filters. Change the filters completely once a month.

    • 8

      Change about a third of the water in the tank every two weeks and add the appropriate dosage of dechlorinator, which will be on the packaging. This will help remove any waste that the filter may have missed or is incapable of absorbing.

    • 9

      Turn the light on for about 10 hours a day to simulate the natural day and night cycles. Any longer and you could risk promoting algal growth.

    • 10

      Check the aquarium lid every day to make sure it's secure. Crayfish are escape artists and if you don't keep the lid tight, you could very well wake up on morning to see your pet crawling across the floor.