How to care for a Crayfish || All the Basics 

Hi Kiwi, I am an old guy (67) and have been an aquarium hobbyist ever since my mom gave me a 5-gallon fish tank when I was 5 or 6. One of my very early fish was a crayfish. I put a flat rock up along the front glass along with a big sea snail shell that was about 5 inches in diameter. My little crayfish dug under the rock in the graveland it wasn't long before he had a large home under the rock and as he dug it out he moved all the gravel away from the glass so that I could see in. He dug over to the large snail shell which was also by the front glass and it became his most favorite place to hang out. He would go around inside the shell until he came to where the top of the shell was broken off and he would sit there with his claws sticking out and his feelers stick up and watch everything in the world outside his little home. Sometimes my baby Bullheads (back and very cute) would swim back under his rock and nip his tail and he would back down till he could turn around and go after them. Sometimes he would tear off a piece of their tale but it didn't stop them from tormenting him. As a little boy with an aquarium in my room I think I spent as much time watching my aquarium as I did watching TV. My crayfish got used to me watching him but if I came to close to the glass he would raise his pinchers at me but never retreat into the shell. One of the things most fascinating things about watching him was how industrious he was. He would use those front claws like a bulldozer moving out gravel from beneath his stone and pile them up around the opening that lead into his lair under the rock. It was fun watching him search through the gravel with his eight legs and feet for food and hand things up from foot to foot. I suppose calling them feet is an inaccurate way to describe them. It seems if I remember the back four legs ended in little pointed spears that the front four had little tiny pincher-like ends that worked much like hands to hand the food up to the two tiny little spear like hands up by its mouth. It was fun to watch them use these legs to search through the gravel for food. They are a terrific scavenger and bottom cleaner. The fish that are most vulnerable to them are smaller fish like black tetras and smaller Angelfish that tend to sleep near the bottom. I remember as a little by I would come to watch my fish with a small flashlight and catch my crayfish in the act of carrying one of these small fish across the bottom toward his cave. I rescued a number of small fish from him. Faster fish like white clouds, zebra fish, common minnows, are much less apt to be a midnight snack for him. A crayfish will love you if you give him a live earthworm. I can't believe you getting yours to crawl up your arm and also letting you brush him with a toothbrush but I guess if you spend time with any animal you can tame them. I had a pet snapping turtle when I was a kid that I became great friends with and he would take raw hamburger right from between my fingers and never try to bite me. He only tried when I first caught him but after that every day I would catch him bugs and crickets and feed him raw hamburger and we became great friends. Of course, I never approached him carelessly like grabbing him but if I respected him and picked him up gently he was fairly tame. I took him back to the lake and let him loose in the Fall and watched him swim out into the lake and stop and look back at me before continuing back out into the wild. Crayfish are so interesting to keep in an aquarium. I think they prefer shallow water especially when they are small and I have had better luck with them in smaller tanks. It could be a water pressure thing. Also if you have an open top tank or even a covered tank with just a small opening they will often find the opening and climb out. I enjoyed your video.

What a surprisingly humorous take on Crawfish, very enjoyable to watch and listen. Thank you.

Breadcrumbs in your bed is the best threat I've ever heard.

Crayfish are such underrated pets.

The threat “I will put breadcrumbs all over your bed” is one of the most creatively horrifying things I’ve ever heard. But I believe satan would be proud

Awesome Crayfish! I’m not beginner, I’ve kept them in the past. This is extremely informative! 👍👍👍👍👍

Hi Kiwi, thanx for the vid. My son talked me into keeping some wild Crawdeds as pets, after we couldn't catch enough big ones to eat. We set the big ones free, and caught 4 very small ones. I already have a 55 gallon tank, with all the fixin's, because we have a pet suckerfish named Consuela. She's really chill. I was worried the little guys might not adapt to the tank, but it's been a week and they're thriving. They're curious little critters. I just added another hiding spot for them, because I figured they would probably all like their own "houses", and it was so fun watching them check it out. They didn't know what to make of it, at first. They even came out of the hiding spots they already had, just to see the new addition. These little guys are awesome. I'm not sure why purple is bad, exactly, but I don't like the idea of breadcrumbs in my bed, so I'll be sure to avoid it, lol.

I started my tank with the idea of a outside brought inside tank setup, natural sand and clay lining with a top layer of detritus. A totally live planted tank with eelgrass, Lilly pads and other wild plants. Then I have 2 sponge filters in a 45 gallon tank with one being a 40 and the other being a 20 as an auxiliary unit. I then used mosquito fish,least killifish,ghost shrimp,trumpet snails, water scorpions and other invertebrates to be tank mates which help the tank be nearly self sustainable as they all utilize they're natural part in nature to keep each other in check. As for food I catch tilapia, fillet it,freeze it and then cut into shavings which are consumed along with they're natural plants in the tank. All together it's my proudest achievement and turned out so beautiful.

A few of your comments during your conversation made me laugh. Thank you for this video im wanting to get one of these.thank you for the info.

This is the most enjoyable video I've seen on RU-vid in a long time. A long time...

I had a pet crawfish years ago, they like to eat earth worms. My friend and I found the crawfish the same time we found a musk turtle. They were ok roommates in the tank. Also too, I like when they malt and then they turn blue. Also they will eat small fish, like small ones. I lost a couple fish to our crawfish. Then a few months after have both in the tank we re-released them back in the spot that we caught them at.

You are really funny and you love crayfish and you definitely just convinced me to get a crayfish. U r my new favorite RU-vidr

They are so fun to watch..... Actually they breathe air but they can live in a filtered tank without going up for air .. I don't have a filtered tank but I always take it out of the tank and play with it . I let it roam about my bathroom when I shower , groom, do my duty, etc... Lol They are like the hamsters or rats of crustaceans .. they are so cute.. They are always roaming about outside the tank and are so inquisitive with their surroundings

I live in Kentucky. I have also been an aquarium hobbyist for a while. I have been wanting an exotic pet but don't have the money for a cephalopod (my dream pet). I have seen some beautiful crayfish though in streams and creeks here. I never really thought about keeping one as a pet till this video showed up in my suggested. Thanks to this video next pet idea acquired.

great video they do eat other fish if fish is sick and slow but they love algae wafers as well as sweet peas i have three in my community tank and never bothered any fish. they did eat one that died before sinking to the bottom. they do like an occasional redworm. all my crayfish are Louisiana reds who get big and aggressive still no fish kill as long as plenty of algae wafers are there. placo wafers are what i use

I love my pet crawfish his name is rocko he’s so amazing to have in my life he keeps me calm and less stress when I see him he lets me see a lot in life I take care him ever day I love him

Ur the only good crayfish owner I’ve seen on RU-vid 😂

I keep wild native fish in my tank and my wild rusty crays don't bother them (certain fish) despite them being benthic fish (No air bladder and staying on the bottom). Namely darters. You must provide them with enough cover and food and they'll leave the fish alone. What needs to happen (in moderation) is getting food to the bottom. I have 4 blunt nose minnows, 5 spotfin shiners, a brindled madtom catfish and 3 crays in a 29 gallon tank, and all live in harmony as long as ALL levels of the tank get food. Since I have darters and the madtom catfish, I can put more blood worms in that sink to the bottom while I feed my mid column minnows and spotfin shiners flake food. However, to accurately feed your benthic dwellers, you can use a turkey baster to "spot feed" the fish and other bottom dwellers to ensure that they get food. This is all from my personal experience and research over the past 20 years.

Mine is Mr. Pinchy and I am just now learning how to care for him. All of my plants are green and all of my rocks are brownish, which are natural to his habitat.

I have a 65gal with gold fish and cichlids I just added 4 in my tank and it is so fun

this was very helpful, I have rusty crayfish, and I paired them up with a few guppies. and everything has gone well. I actually made a crayfish video myself XD

In case your wondering, i think your species of crayfish is a spothanded crayfish

Does... does Ravioli... taste... like ravioli? And Crayfish are pretty chill. You can find them in gravel rivers and creeks. There's dirt and rocks, maybe some moss, that's it. They like to hide under the rocks and in cracks in the larger layers of stone. Go to the mountains anywhere in the south, look around some of the creeks, and you'll find them.

I got my crawdad a 3 foot kiddy pool. Hes 6 inches long. He loves zucchini and frozen peas

I got one that ended up in my dishpan I have sitting outside so I guess hes wanting an owner.

great video subbed!!!

Thank you! Very helpful video.

Thank you so very much for your info and in put in this video, I really enjoyed it 😊

His room & front yard 💀😭🤣💀💕 omg putting garbage in their bed I’m done 💀⛄️

thank you for this! fluffy will be much happier

I was given a crayfish for free from a petco that said they are pests when they accidentally get them with their feeder fish shipments! Thank you for this little guide, it helped me a lot! Also it helped that I don't have to listen to some white guy mansplain everything to me in a 45-minute video where he talks in circles. This was to the point and you have a nice voice :) Thanks again!! I subbed :)

I have a blue crayfish and had a ghost crayfish. Thr ghost crayfish kept breaking out and would wonder my bedroom all day and i had no idea. Sadly the ghost pased away the other day. But now my blue is being less active so im scared

I recently caught some so I can learn a little before spending a lot of money on them because I would like to breed crayfish but right now I have a 10 gallon with 4 small ones one medium small female an a small larger one male and I’ve put the female an male in a smaller thing I made for them that has holes so it can hang in the big tank but keep them separate from the small ones and close but I’ve noticed even when picking up the male he doesn’t really pinch so he will go after her but won’t grab her an mate any tips?

I live in Italy and I somehow found a random crawfish. Just one, in front of the Ikea next my house 😭 Now I'm stuck with it because it's an invasive species here so I can't just leave it wherever

also, my tank has blue and purp plants, but both my crawfish are blue

I have a cray fish names Aueni. And this helped me to care for mine a lot! Thxs!

Ravioli is a great name it made me laugh I'm going to probably name mine Greg.

Cheers thanks friend and anyone else have a crayfish at home?

Ravioli is too cute

you must be jotaro. oh, you approaching me?

Did you name the fish jotaro because of jotaro kujo

Where can you buy one single crayfish?

We just found a Blu crayfish in our neighborhood on the street in Phoenix AZ wth ???

Hello people I am here because my son found one at his school during recess lol The school called because he was scaring other kids trying to show them what he found The school said we could keep it lol so here I am trying to get a tank ready

Can I keep a bluegill and a cray fish together?

Love your voice awesome to listen to

I don't have a bed so where u going to put the breadcrumbs

Love your video, thank yor being so informative. So it is ok to have snails with crayfish?

How well will they do in a backyard pond with a filter It's basically a huge tank without the glass

Why is this my favourite video

i have a crayfish and his name is mr.crab's

I have a question. I have a hang on back filter for extra use but I fear that it’s broken. So I have one sponge filter already working for my 23 gallon tank and I want to get a electric blue crayfish. But I heard that sometimes they might chew on the sponge and I don’t know how to prevent that from happening without having to replace the whole filter entirely. Any suggestions. Can I still keep my sponge filter with my crayfish?

I was just at the river catching some snails etc and found a toothbrush just like that.... Someone was giving crawfish snuggles...

Some crayfish like warm water. My Australian Red Claw Crayfish die at ten degrees celcius. They love frozen peas.

Can I get a boy and girl at the same time and put them together

I was thinking about getting a crawdaddy to put on my computer desk, now I know not to. He needs a much bigger tank than I guessed.

Good video

Hi there Good information happy day be safe god

I recently caught two crawfish and I’ve been keeping them as pets. How do I prevent cloudy murky water? I’m using tank clearing agents and it seems not to be working. What could I do to fix it?

You are underated

Cool video! Great info, I have a 75 gallon that I want to turn into a crayfish tank. Do you think with that size I can fit 3-4 of them?

So helpful thanks

ya i didnt know about the molting skin so i took it out :(

We found a mama crayfish in the middle of no where and we put her in a big probably 40 to 60 gallon tank with concrete blocks for a “home” we also added potato pieces and turkey pieces what else can we do for her and her babies? We’re leaving her outside and there’s also ducks around and we can’t exactly bring her in. We’re going shopping tomorrow I just want to know what exact to do and get? Any info would help please

Why are You trying to get to my bed so much? :D Thanks for Info, still pretty hard to find some more about them , dont forget - they love to eat snails :D

from my knowledge, a 7.4 is perfect pH.

Thank you for your candid take on Ravioli - we found a Electric Blue Crayfish almost 3 inches long and we call him BLUE since he's radiant blue. We added white gravel and he has a reptile hide out with plants. I thought he would be lonely so I added 5 BLUE RAM CICLIDS and they seem to get along but I'm concerned BLUE will get bigger and so will the CICLIDS and someone will get killed. So, I got a 5 gallon tank setup and put BLUE in there and he was so pissed off. He wanted out pacing pacing pacing. Eventually, I put him back and after a few hours he calmed down. I now have a 10 gallon tank setup and really working on natural setup with aerator. Thank you for all the tips - question? What about white sand I purchased a bag from PetSmart your thoughts?

You also earned another sub

hi kiwi for an eavan better treat iu would try adding some worms for an enrichmant food and some egg shels to make it eazeyer to shed there exosceloton i have ceped my crawfish for almost 7 years and for the first 2 they where eating thiose pellits but inotest them having trubble and when i mixd in the worms and eggshels im small amounts once every 2 weeks thye where thriveing and still are to this day. just wanted to give give you that if you that because it dont just improve the shed it improves there helth and life span

I enjoyed this video

I have a fresh water crawdad they don't sleep

where is a good place to find all this equipment? I was trying to look online but I find it hard to find reliable things. I wanted to find long-lasting equipment but don't know where to shop since these crayfish were randomly given to me.

Is putting purple plants or blue substrate in the tank bad for your crayfish

I made a mistake getting a blue crayfish and he died. Never making this mistake again. Thanks for the video.

What type of crayfish is that you know i got a calico crayfish

Cannot survive without water? I caught one on the pavement walking

I have a 10 gal for the cray fish and it’s 2 inches does that work

Hey, I am thinking of getting a crayfish for a tank and do you know if it is okay for them to eat live stuff? Like muscles?

Well, I'm from south Louisiana, and I've got a 102 quart tank that works really well for a crayfish and 40 or so pounds of his friends. Your water temperature should be around 212° F, and you have to add in a few things to make sure that the crayfish are comfortable.......= )

I got scared of the bread crums, I couldnt continue watching 🥲

Thank you

Is it okay for blue gravel

What’s the name of the song, please??

i made a hiding hole for mine but instead it just dug its own under a piece of wood

Breadcrumbs are fine as some say I eat like a bird. 🦜

Oop I have blue small rocks for my substait 🙀

They also taste really nice! We eat them here in Australia

YOU NAMED YOUR FISH JOTARO? Jojo reference?

Yo ravioli what’s going on buddy?

Did he ever pinch you?

Omg thank you

I can’t have mine go on my arm because he’s ginormous Btw he’s an Australian species and is extremely feisty

Ravioli 😂🤣😂💕

I like bread crumbs

I will help with the bread crumbs

❤️❤️❤️

Bread crumbs in my bed😁😆

we already care abt them

I think u mean to say "how to take care of a crawfish".

What’s wrong with purple/blue plants?