In this blog, we will talk about if crayfish are easy to take care of.
I’ve had pet crayfish for around four years. Usually, when I tell people that I have a pet crayfish, they’ll first ask me, “Why?” They’ll also ask me are crayfish easy to take care of?
So How Easy is a Crayfish to Take Care of?
I’ve had dogs, cats, rabbits, and a few other creatures, and as it turns out, pet crayfish are probably the easiest pets to take care of. Seriously!
1. Crayfish Care is Minimal
So, why are crayfish such easy animals to care for?
Well, mainly because they don’t need much. You can simply put them in a fish tank, and let them be, for the most part—the care required is minimal.
2. Set Up a Tank and Just Change the Water
When you first get a pet crayfish, you will need a fish tank that has been properly set up (I highly recommend a 20-gallon fish tank.)
This means the water should be “conditioned” and the tank should be “cycled” so that your cray can live in a healthy environment. You can learn more about how to set up a crayfish tank here.
Although crayfish are considered to be “hardy,” or animals that can live in dirty water, they do need an environment that isn’t toxic to them. So, again, setting up the tank correctly is important.
After your tank is set up, regular maintenance is required. Basically, that means changing out a little water every few weeks and a water filter every now and then.
This all can be done in about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your tank. So, again, not much work.
3. Crayfish are Not Picky Eaters
Crayfish are omnivores—they are scavengers.
Basically, these little guys will eat just about anything they can get their claws on.
I feed my crayfish algae wafers. Although, since they are omnivores and will eat almost anything, you can feed them krill, frozen peas, etc. You don’t have to take the little guys to any fancy restaurants or buy them all organic food of any sort. They are pretty easy to please. They are definitely cheap dates.
So What’s So Hard About Keeping Crayfish?
Usually, the hardest part, if you can call it that, of keeping a crayfish, is getting the tank set up correctly.
Additionally, if you plan on keeping other fish in your fish tank with your crayfish, you’ll want to make sure you get the right fish. You can read my blog on crayfish tank mates to find out what other fish work well with crayfish.
I’ll give you a hint, no bottom feeders.
Other than that, I’d highly recommend a pet crayfish if you are looking for an interesting and low maintenance animal for the family.
