How to Raise Crawdads for Food

Crawdads, otherwise known as crayfish, can be caught in many different waterways, especially in the South, both in salt and fresh water, and can be raised as pets or to eat. You can also purchase them from some pet stores. If you are going to raise crawdads for your family to eat or to feed another aquatic pet, such as a turtle, it is important to know how to raise healthy crawdads for the best taste and nutritional value.

Things You'll Need

  • Glass aquarium
  • Tank gravel
  • Fish tank filter
  • Tank heater
  • Aerator
  • Aerator stone
  • Air hose
  • Rocks, wood pieces or PVC pipe pieces
  • Aquarium cover
  • pH strips
  • Vegetables, crawdad food pellets, meat, small shrimp
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up the aquarium to create a habitat for your crawdads. Rinse the tank gravel well and place it in the bottom of the aquarium. Fill the aquarium with water. Do not use water that has been put through a water softener because crawdads require medium to hard water. Attach the water filter and the tank heater to the sides of the tank and plug them in. Set the heater between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Hide an aerator stone under the gravel, attach the air hose and plug the other end of the air hose into the aerator. Crawdads require plenty of oxygen in their water. Place rocks, pieces of wood or pieces of PVC pipe in the bottom for hiding places.

    • 2

      Run the filter and the heater for at least a day before introducing the crawdads into their environment. This allows the water to reach the appropriate temperature. Crawdads are fairly hearty and can survive in a wide range of temperatures, but temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit work best.

    • 3

      Test the pH level of the water with the testing strips to determine if the water has the appropriate pH. Crawdads prefer a pH between 7.5 and 8.5. If you need to increase the pH in your water, add some baking soda to the water. To decrease the pH, introduce peat moss or a piece of wood into the water. Peat moss can change the color of the water to a yellowish color. This will not harm the crawdads.

    • 4

      Introduce the crawdads into their new environment as soon as all of the conditions are just right. Place a cover securely over the top of the tank to keep the crawdads from crawling out and getting lost in your home.

    • 5

      Feed the crawdads on a daily basis. Adult crawdads do best eating vegetables, along with a few food pellets and the occasional small fish. However, younger crawdads can benefit from eating shrimp and small pieces of fish meat as they grow. If your crawdads breed and multiply, you will need a larger tank to ensure that more fry survive because they are known to eat each other while they are small.