Freshwater crabs are fascinating creatures and keeping them as pets can be a fun hobby. However, if you plan on getting some tank mates for your pet crayfish, there are a few things to consider.
the size of the aquarium
If you are going to get your crayfish some tank mates, you will need at least a 10 gallon aquarium. Anything smaller just won’t work. A tank less than 10 gallons is simply too small for a crayfish. Also, a tank smaller than 10 gallons will not be efficient at filtering the toxins produced by the fish and crayfish in the tank. Also, for a crayfish, living in a fish tank under 10 gallons would be like living in your closet. – It’s not great. So it goes without saying that crayfish tank size is an essential part of freshwater crayfish.
The Right Tank Mates
When finding the right tank mates for your crayfish, you’ll need to consider a few things. Mainly the fact that crayfish love to eat fish. – But that doesn’t mean that all the fish you put in the tank will become crab dinner. If you select the correct fish, they should be fine in the tank with your crayfish.
The correct tankmates will be fish that swim near the top of the tank and/or are fast swimmers. Fish that swim at the bottom of the tank or swim slowly are at a much higher risk of being caught and eaten by a crayfish. Some examples of good freshwater crayfish tankmates are hatchet fish, danios, redtail sharks, and tiger barbs. I have all of these fish in my tank and I don’t have any problems.
As for putting other crayfish in your tank, this can be iffy. Crayfish are very territorial and cannibalistic. They have no problem eating their brother. If you have a 10 gallon tank, I advise only putting one more crayfish in his tank, if he puts any at all. Personally, I think a crayfish is ideal for a 10 gallon tank. I’ve already been through the whole ordeal of having two crayfish in my tank. It was fine at first, but eventually one of the crayfish ate the other. It was a bit ugly.
Remember, having tank mates for your crayfish can be great, but it’s not necessary for proper freshwater crayfish care.
