How to Raise Aquatic Crawfish as a Pet

Crawfish -- or crayfish -- are types of crustaceans that live 2 to 3 years on average Raising and taking care of them can be a fun and educational experience. Take care of your pet crayfish by acquiring them either from a store or online, setting up a fish tank for them, making sure the lid on the tank is secure, putting in a filter, helping them with their molting and feeding them the proper types of food.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish tank
  • Water
  • Gravel
  • Sand
  • Fish tank hollow logs
  • Fish tank caves
  • Clay flower pots
  • PVC pipe
  • Plastic plants
  • Tank filter
  • Dechlorinator
  • Liquid calcium
  • Fish food
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Small fish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy your pet crayfish from a local aquarium store or ask the store to order some for you. You can also order crayfish over the Internet, and there is a selection of many varieties to choose from. If you reside near a cold-water stream, you can find your pet on your own by looking in the shallows where the water moves slowly.

    • 2

      Set up a proper environment for your crayfish. Get a 10- to 15-gallon tank and put small grain gravel or sand at the bottom of it. Put in places for your crayfish to hide such as hollow logs, caves, clay flower pots and PVC pipe.

    • 3

      Make sure there are no holes in the tank's lid and that the tank is completely covered. This is to prevent the crayfish from escaping because they can climb out of tanks. If you put live plants in your tank, the crayfish will eat them. Use plastic plants if you want them for decoration.

    • 4

      Get a filter for your tank and set it so that it runs on a cycle. Put dechlorinator in the water before adding the water into the tank. Add 2 to 3 drops of liquid calcium once every two days to the water in order to help the crayfish grow a new exoskeleton when they molt.

    • 5

      Feed your crayfish. Give them commercial fish foods such as shrimp pellets, sinking algae wafers and flaky food. Include fruits and vegetables in their diet such as leaf lettuce, spinach, zucchini, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and green peas. You can also feed them small fresh fish. Remove any uneaten fresh foods every couple of hours so that they do not turn the water foul.