my neweset addition

IrishLad17

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Jan 26, 2005
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85
I just purchased a cray fish from a local pet store which I find to be quite professional and also care for their animals. Anywho, he is a lively little fellow, a bit skittish right now, he has a few plants and a couple of rocks. Im definitely going to be upgrading him to a larger tank soon. Im pretty sure I have most of his (im just guessing at its gender) basic needs covered, but if any of you have some extra information that I could use I would definitely appreciate it. Also if any of you know how to sex them id appreciate that a lot, thanks every one.

BTW, if my digital camera stops being stupid I'll definitely post pics.
 

Heartfang

Arachnoknight
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Nov 13, 2004
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282
pharaoh2653 said:
i never raised any crawfish but i love too eat them.
I don't think that was the best of things to say at the moment... (I like to eat 'em too)
 

Heartfang

Arachnoknight
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Nov 13, 2004
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Actually, I have never heard of anyone raising crayfish as pets. Sounds pretty cool. I might look into it.
 

Vys

Arachnoprince
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Sep 22, 2002
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One of them blue things? Cool, anyhow! I hear they go really well with the slower kinds of fish ;) Definitely post pictures.
 

IrishLad17

Arachnosquire
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Jan 26, 2005
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85
lol, they sure taste great but this little guy(?) will definitely be living the high life. oh yeah, and hes more of a tan color than blue.
 
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fantasticp

Arachnocompulsive
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Jun 18, 2004
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I had some in high school. They loved frozen green beans. Look for a bean that sinks. It's easier for them to get.
 

IrishLad17

Arachnosquire
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Jan 26, 2005
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Speaking of feeding. These guys are amazing when they feed. I crushed a cricket and put it into his tank but it didnt sink so I used a pair of forceps to maneuver the cricket near the little dude. I didnt think anything was gonna happen then in the blink of an eye he almost cut the cricket in half with his claw! And boy did he go to town on that cricket. I was watching and then i heard quite a few crunching noises. It was awesome. All that was left of the poor bug was a hind leg.
 

Black Hawk

Arachnolord
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Feb 15, 2005
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i've kept them, breed them, even kept a big tank full of babies for a while. and yes, i've eaten em too. they also like bacon, dog food, cat food, water plants, and LOADS of other things. Have fun with s/he! they can be sexed, i'll edit my post as soon as i remember how...

EDIT: here, couldn't have said it better myself http://www.aquanic.org/discuss/_craw/000003e6.htm
if you don't know how to pick one up without getting pinched u can PM me, i've done it loads of times, it's actually quite fun
p.s.-don't rush sexing it, they can be out of the water for a few minutes with no ill effects (unlike fish lol)
 
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Scythemantis

Arachnobaron
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Feb 27, 2005
Messages
499
Heartfang said:
Actually, I have never heard of anyone raising crayfish as pets. Sounds pretty cool. I might look into it.
Never!? They have ALWAYS been pets! Every petstore I've ever known sells them for the home aquarium! A crayfish was, in fact, the first pet I ever owned and lived for seven years of my childhood. I had no clue people seriously ate them until a couple years ago, and I was shocked. I initially thought it was just some bizarre, cartoonish "hillbilly" thing like eating roadkill opossums, but I hear about it more and more as if it's somehow normal. To me, that's as freakish and nonsensical as eating goldfish. They're not only a pet species, but they're tiny. What's the point?! I can't believe anyone thinks of them as food.
 
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pharaoh2653

Arachnosquire
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Jan 8, 2005
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Scythemantis said:
Never!? They have ALWAYS been pets! Every petstore I've ever known sells them for the home aquarium! A crayfish was, in fact, the first pet I ever owned and lived for seven years of my childhood. I had no clue people seriously ate them until a couple years ago, and I was shocked. I initially thought it was just some bizarre, cartoonish "hillbilly" thing like eating roadkill opossums, but I hear about it more and more as if it's somehow normal. To me, that's as freakish and nonsensical as eating goldfish. They're not only a pet species, but they're tiny. What's the point?! I can't believe anyone thinks of them as food.


It is normal. Trust me they were being eaten long before becoming pets. Besides there are many crawfish species some get pretty big and most arent " pet species". They are very popular during lent and around here would be all year round if available and at a cheap price. I know id eat them all year round. Im from a pretty big city(New Orleans) and almost everyone I know eats them. (although there are those who consider them disgusting) there are others who would have it no other way me included. and whats the point? have your ever eaten one. they are delicious. ;P
 

Scythemantis

Arachnobaron
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I know it's normal to other people, but I'll always see it as weird. My entire experience with them is as aquarium pets, and I've only seen them being sold as food when I was in south Carolina once.

Can't taste much different from lobster, and I find all shellfish (and most meat in general) to be utterly devoid of flavor without seasoning and the actual consistency to be most unpleasant. I can't help but be almost irritated at how everyone drools over the stuff, since I wish I could comprehend the appeal. I have the misfortune of living in Maryland my whole life and working behind a seafood counter...when customers find out I'm native to this state and don't like crab (due to them asking me how it is "today", even though we don't make it there) they literally treat me like I'm mentally handicapped after a horrified jaw-drop.

And quite frankly, the customers who stand there and lick their lips at the live lobsters (I see this EVERY DAY) disgust the hell out of me. I hate that they have to be cooked live, and I hate how the same people are hypocritically repulsed by the idea of most other arthropod as food. Thank god they're barely ever ordered...I eat meat, but I don't want to sit there and watch a chicken get axed for me. Cripes. Just another example of the gross disrespect people have for inverts, I say. :razz:
 
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Scythemantis

Arachnobaron
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Feb 27, 2005
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The upside to maryland's crab obsession though is all kinds of cool-looking crab merchandise :D
 

JonDaAzn

Arachnosquire
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Dec 4, 2004
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I've had them as pets and eaten them, i love lobster, but the flavour of the crawfish just didn't agree with me... of course, this was at a cheap all you can eat buffet so i guess i cant really judge
 

Aragorn

Arachnobaron
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Dec 21, 2003
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I have kept mind for about a year now and they love fish, pinkies, crushed dog food, and dead crickets. They especially ove meat and the bone, also the scales and fins. Try rotating his food...I found out they like varieties. If they are fool, they will not eat. In that case, go ahead and remove the the food. They like shallow water so they they could climb up and expose the gills on one side to fresh air for oxygen, or you could used air stones. Filter also help in keeping the water clean and use dechloranator to condition the water.
 

IrishLad17

Arachnosquire
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Jan 26, 2005
Messages
85
Thanks everyone for the info. Im just wondering, how often should I feed him now? Also, I read a bit of info on a website and I've made a few changes.
ORIGINAL SETUP
1. Deep water
2. White gravel
3. Plastic plant
4. Smooth river rocks

REVISED SETUP
1. Shallower water
2. Terra-cotta flower pot on its side for a cave. (he crawls on top when he wants to get out of the water)
3. White gravel
4. Variety of rocks
The plastic plant was on loan from another tank, so im going to buy a few more for his tank later. Also, I made the water more shallow because I heard that the oxygen wouldnt settle on the bottom of the tank and since the crayfish is bottom dweller it would die. I dont know if this is true or not but I do know that they do like to be out of the water every now and then. I tried to sex it when it was leaning against the side of the tank and I could easily see its underside. Im pretty sure its male but he moved pretty quickly so I didnt get that good of a look. I was too afraid to pick him up (afraid that I would damage him) So Black Hawk definitely expect a PM soon :D
 

IrishLad17

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
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Jan 26, 2005
Messages
85
moult!

My little guy moulted! At first I thought he had keeled over and died. So imagine my surprise when I went over to collect his 'corpse' and I saw him sitting in his little cage, alive as could be. So I was just wondering, does anybody know how I should preserve the shed exoskeleton?
 

Wade

Arachnoking
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Aug 16, 2002
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They will often eat the exoskeleton to replenish calcium, you might want to leave it.

Although many keepers like to give them high-protein diets, they are actually mostly herbiverous scavangers, with only 20% or so of their wild diet coming from animal protein. They'll eat anachris (common and cheap aquarium plant), most fish foods (they love the sinking algae discs they sell for plecos) and I've given them reptomin turtle sticks (it has both animal and plant material).

Wade
 
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