Petshrimp.com Discussion Forum

I got 10 crayfish from the petstore this past week. The adults were a little over an inch long and the ones I got look just like the picture of the Cajun Dwarf Crayfish picture on this site.

They are living in my 40g tank that has a light Eco-Complete layer (not gravel, just left over Eco-Complete from my little tank), driftwoods, and a skull decoration. There are java moss on the driftwood, najas free floating, and I had 2 potted plants (Brazilian Micro Sword). The two potted plants got ripped apart in the night by the crayfish. Couldn't be anyone else because the only other fish in there is one I adopted that is a Golden Gourami.

I feed them frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. The driftwood in this tank used to be in my 5.5g planted tank but it got overrun with hair algae, so there was some of that still left when I put it in my 40g tank. It looks to be nice and clear of it now.

The tank is unheated and no clue what the temperature is, but I live in CA so it won't be so extreme.

Anyways, for the questions... How many of these little crayfish can I have in my 40g tank? I plan to add a few more driftwood along the bottom and hope the java moss extends more. As for what else to keep in this tank fish wise... maybe mollys, platys, guppies, etc.

Also, the eating my plants part... I thought they don't eat plants or is it that they most often don't? I am not mad at them... those 2 potteds were just left over from what I used in my bettas tank, but I was hopping to use it in my 1.6 bookshelf tank too, but I can easily get more. Are there other plants I can use with them that they would love to play in? Or even eat...

Does my tank set-up sounds okay? Any considerations I am forgetting to think about? Btw, I am new to keeping crayfish. I hope that I can take good care of these little ones that only costed me a dollar each so I can get a florida blue crayfish that costs soooooo much.

I can guarantee you that you do not have the cajun dwarf crayfish or any Cambarellus species for that matter. First, they are not sold in pet stores and second they *never* shred or eat healthy plants.

You probably bought some juveniles of a larger species (such as Procambarus clarkii) which you are mistaking for adults of a dwarf crayfish species. Wait a few weeks and you'll see what I mean when they double and triple in size.

I would agree. I have never seen a dwarf cray eat live plants before.

I would have to agree then that they must be some other sort of crayfish since they decided to snack on ALL my live plants in that tank. Even all the java moss. They look so much like the picture of the crayfish on this site. Maybe I will try to see if I can get pics and post them so someone can identify them. Either way, I love these guys. I originally had 10 in my 40g tank but I think I am down to 8 of them. I have been giving them sinking bottom feeder type of wafers (they each get one and it is funny to see them walk off with their meal), frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimps, slow sinking tropical crumbles. Anything else I can give them for variety?

I do have some feeder guppies in there along with one golden gourami, but was wondering what else I can keep with them. I am more than willing to give up the gourami since it was just given away to me when someone else couldn't keep him. Could I keep maybe 2 fantail goldfish in there? Or mollies? Other fishes I like are dwarf puffers and bichirs (but I know the later would probably not go well at all). I do have a heater for the tank, but in CA the weather isn't too extreme so I have left it off for now. I mostly want fishes that won't eat the crayfish offsprings and they won't eat the fish either...lol Basically something for the top or mid level areas.

Mustafa wrote:I can guarantee you that you do not have the cajun dwarf crayfish or any Cambarellus species for that matter. First, they are not sold in pet stores and second they *never* shred or eat healthy plants.

You probably bought some juveniles of a larger species (such as Procambarus clarkii) which you are mistaking for adults of a dwarf crayfish species. Wait a few weeks and you'll see what I mean when they double and triple in size.

Y not sold in petstores...

SORRY TO TAKE OVER!!!