# Save my crayfish.



## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

So. my crayfish got into a fight and lost all of his legs on one side.
He only has about 2.5 legs on his right side and can't really move.....

What can I do to save it? or is it totally hopeless


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## biodivercity (Aug 24, 2010)

Some of my marble crayfish has the same problem. This is due to my tank not being big enough to house them. It makes them harder to look for food. I would not say its hopeless. What kind of crayfish do you have? If you are interested in some Marble crayfish to replace the one you have. You can email me and I will give you some for free. I think I have around 100+ of them in one of my tanks. Just remember that this is a self-cloning crayfish. Therefore you will have a lot of them in a very short time.


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

It would regrow legs again once it molts so unless it is hurt in some other ways it should be fine. Separate it and put it in a hospital tank or something. Just put the food close to the mouth when feeding.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I really feel for you and your crayfish. Unfortunately, I know nothing about crayfish so have no advice other than the general observation that sometimes these aquatic creatures are hardier than we would expect. I think that Captured Moments' advice is sound. If you can't put it in another tank, perhaps try a divider.


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## taureandragon76 (Apr 21, 2010)

I have never seen this in my cray tank, just the odd missing arm. I keep mine in a 55g with lots of oyster shells and clam shells for them to all have a cave to hide in. As stated it should regrow it's missing parts when it molts.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Ok so like what kind of food should I be feeding it? and how often should I be doing this


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

Just feed it what you would normally feed your crayfish. What kind of crayfish is it anyway? Crayfish eat almost anything: plants, moss, algae wafers, fish pellets, shrimp pellets, Hikari Crab Cusine. You don't need to feed them a lot and I quite often skip feeding mine for a day and even sometimes 2.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Lol i have a red zebra in there as well. I think what happened was it molted. and the zebra started to eat it. o well it died. 

There's plenty of other crayfish in there though


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

Too bad. I had a recent similar experience. Do you recall my thread? see link.
But he is doing quite well.

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/freshwater-chat-9/vulnerable-cherax-crayfish-when-molting-9119/


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## gwcana (Apr 22, 2010)

next time...you'll need to put it in a jar or another container buy itself to keep it safe...just change the water often...calcium...and feed........after a few molts legs will grow back.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Anyone know if Austrailian RedClaws can share a tank with a few kuhli loaches...

They're fast. woudl they be able to get away?


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

I wouldn't recommend putting anything with crayfish because they are opportunistic and given the chance, they could make a meal out of your loach.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

But i don't want a naked fish tank with just crays crawling around on the bottom though.


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## VinnyD (Apr 21, 2010)

Edarion said:


> But i don't want a naked fish tank with just crays crawling around on the bottom though.


either get some very active cheap fish(Zebra danios..etc)...or u might have fish bones on the bottom of the tank...maybe you can put some nice rock decoration or arrangement in your tank. i am not sure..never had crayfish as pets before.....


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## skrick (Apr 25, 2010)

I have 4 yoyo loach and fry with my crays with no probs if they are fast enough like cichlids thats what my fry are I havent seen any crayfish in the 2 years i have had mine eat a fish unless it was dead the florida blue crays are more likely to catch something they are always after fish in my other tank


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## FED (Apr 25, 2010)

When I had marble crayfish, I had white cloud minnows in with them and they never got eaten. If they did then no problem since they're cheap anyways.


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## KBS1664 (Nov 9, 2010)

I have red claw crabs and currently one of them is in the same sort of deal. She just molted and it was a bad molt. Has 2.5 legs on one side and a missing claw. The other crab is more than twice the size and aggressive so I built a cave on the opposite end of the tank for the crab to feel safe. She started eating again and moving about the tank so I'd say just give the crayfish time to heal. If you remove it from the tank into a container it would probably cause a lot of stress.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

what kind of a cave did you build anyways


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## KBS1664 (Nov 9, 2010)

I used a zilla reptile ornament and some fake plants. The crab seems to like it, gives a lot of shelter.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

That sounds interesting, I'll keep that trick in mind. Although part of the problem with me is overcrowding as I'm working with a 5 gal and a 15 gal. Luxury of space is something i don't have... yet.


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## JTang (Apr 21, 2010)

My smaller electric blue has lost 2 legs and a claw on the same side even though there are lot of caves in the 46 gal. I have just separated it from the others. Now he's by himself, getting all the food he wants! Lol 
I will grow him bigger before putting him back into the tank.
Btw, I have a few white clouds in the tank as the lobsters' tankmates. They might be eaten but oh well...


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## JTang (Apr 21, 2010)

Just got home n saw that one of the larger Australian Red Claw has lost both of his claws! Oh man these guys are destructive! :-o


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Is this just due to the crays fighting with each other. Or do you have like fish in there that are doing this


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

How do you tell the different between an austrailian redclaw Cray and a marbled Crayfish


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## JTang (Apr 21, 2010)

Edarion said:


> Is this just due to the crays fighting with each other. Or do you have like fish in there that are doing this


Im sure that they are ripping each other apart! Theres no way that the little minnows could do such damage to crays that are 3X their size... I now have 2 that are isolated, each has lost 5 legs/claws!


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

Amazing, yes it sounds like isolation is the best way to go. At least they're not ripping apart the white clouds.


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

Edarion said:


> How do you tell the different between an austrailian redclaw Cray and a marbled Crayfish


Not difficult to tell the difference once you have seen both types. Just google and see picture examples.
Marble crayfish has that distinct marble pattern on their body. The body shape is a bit different and the red claws will grow much bigger. The male red claws once they reach maturity have a distinct red patch on the outside curve of their claws. The female red claws don't have that colour patch but their claws are more elongated than the males. You shouldn't mix the 2 species together because only the red claws are true tropical crayfish and I read somewhere a while back that the procamberi line (electric blue and marble, etc.) carry a virus that the red claws have never been exposed to and are not immune to the virus.... never tried mixing... besides I gave away all my marbles and I only have red claws now.


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## Edarion (Apr 21, 2010)

I have a bunch of Juveniles mixed together... in a tank. I want to separate the Redclaws from the marbles... But they're juveniles having a lot of difficulty telling them apart..

Is it wiser to wait until they molt a few times and then i can see who is what


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