Crayfish Disappearance

[Bradley1]

Hi all!

Can anyone help me regarding my pet Crayfish? He seems to have disappeared :s Is it possible he burrowed under my gravel or is it more likely that he managed to get out of the aquarium? I've had him for a few months and have never seen him get close to escaping. We had a cold night yesterday... could that affect behaviour?

-Thanks

 

[Delapool]

Perhaps tucked away somewhere? I did find them adept at getting out of the tank given half a chance so would also be searching anywhere in the room as well.

 

[LayzorBeams]

Well... A lot of that depends on specifics, like how close is the waterline to the top of the tank, how big is the Cray, could he be sucked imto a filter, could a pet have eaten him, etc..

But i would say burrowing is possible, as i do believe they do that in the winter. Im not sure... But across the street from me in the pond, they are always crawling out of little holes in the mud. So maybe the cold exposure cold have sent him burrowing.

Crabs, a similar type of animal, are escape artists. So it is possible, but probably unlikely, that he escaped, and crawled, hit, and possibly subsequently died.

I say he burrowed or is hiding really good.




Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[Bradley1]

Perhaps tucked away somewhere? I did find them adept at getting out of the tank given half a chance so would also be searching anywhere in the room as well.

Just searched the whole room so I'm assuming he's somewhere in the tank lol

 

[Bradley1]

Well... A lot of that depends on specifics, like how close is the waterline to the top of the tank, how big is the Cray, could he be sucked imto a filter, could a pet have eaten him, etc..

But i would say burrowing is possible, as i do believe they do that in the winter. Im not sure... But across the street from me in the pond, they are always crawling out of little holes in the mud. So maybe the cold exposure cold have sent him burrowing.

Crabs, a similar type of animal, are escape artists. So it is possible, but probably unlikely, that he escaped, and crawled, hit, and possibly subsequently died.

I say he burrowed or is hiding really good.

Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

I just search the room so I don't think he escaped, must've burrowed... I checked all the hiding places. It's possible one of the fish with him ate him, but none look particularly fat lol. He's a couple inches long, so I doubt my aquaclear 20 sucked him up XD Thanks

 

[LayzorBeams]

I just search the room so I don't think he escaped, must've burrowed... I checked all the hiding places. It's possible one of the fish with him ate him, but none look particularly fat lol. He's a couple inches long, so I doubt my aquaclear 20 sucked him up XD Thanks

What other fish? At a couple of inches long he could only be fully eaten by either a group effort of a lot of small fish, or a larger fish that could eat him whole... He would probably have to have just milted as well...


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[Bradley1]

What other fish? At a couple of inches long he could only be fully eaten by either a group effort of a lot of small fish, or a larger fish that could eat him whole... He would probably have to have just milted as well...


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

He did just molt, well like a week or 2 ago... ate his old shell and seemed to be recovering nicely. The biggest fish is between 3-4 inches long, and there are 2 others that are 2-3 inches long. The crayfish always seemed stronger than them though... in fact he would try to hunt them and not vice-versa.

 

[Bradley1]

I do suspect he burrowed... if so, should I try to "unbury" him? Or would that be stressful and I should just wait for him to come out? -Thanks

 

[LayzorBeams]

He did just molt, well like a week or 2 ago... ate his old shell and seemed to be recovering nicely. The biggest fish is between 3-4 inches long, and there are 2 others that are 2-3 inches long. The crayfish always seemed stronger than them though... in fact he would try to hunt them and not vice-versa.

Well a 3 inch Molly is a lot different than a 3 inch Convict... Just saying, its not inky size but species too..

Although, Crays really do like the hunt.


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[GreenGo]

He did just molt, well like a week or 2 ago... ate his old shell and seemed to be recovering nicely. The biggest fish is between 3-4 inches long, and there are 2 others that are 2-3 inches long. The crayfish always seemed stronger than them though... in fact he would try to hunt them and not vice-versa.

It's common for the tables to be turned during, and soon after, moulting. However, I think a week or two would be enough time for the outer shell to have hardened adequately. Has he been missing only recently, or has it been awhile since you've seen your crayfish? If only recently, it's likely he's just borrowing, but if it's been awhile...

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[Bradley1]

Well a 3 inch Molly is a lot different than a 3 inch Convict... Just saying, its not inky size but species too..

Although, Crays really do like the hunt.


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

They're a species similar to a siamese algae eater.

 

[Bradley1]

It's common for the tables to be turned during, and soon after, moulting. However, I think a week or two would be enough time for the outer shell to have hardened adequately. Has he been missing only recently, or has it been awhile since you've seen your crayfish? If only recently, it's likely he's just borrowing, but if it's been awhile...

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

I noticed he went missing Monday, there seems to be a bump in the gravel where his favourite hiding place is. Hopefully he's somewhere under there

 

[LayzorBeams]

Ok, so he wasnt eaten, most likely.

I would stir up the gravel and check; if he somehow died under there then his body will be rotting and creating issues with your BB.

Aka it will make a bunch of new BB grow which will die off and make even more Nitrates...

So yeah, try to search the gravel.


Sent from my bed, the only space available to me that isn't smothered in dirty laundry or aquariums.

 

[shrimpybusiness]

I've had them climb out of a 10 gallon tank with a rim!. He used the heater to climb up

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[Coyne]

I'm curious if you ever found it. I had never heard of a crayfish burrowing, but I'm no expert either. Mine never did that, but it WAS always climbing and probing around for a way out.


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[Bradley1]

Yes I found him... under my bed a couple days later He musta climbed up the tube of my HOB filter, only way I can see him getting out.

 

[Delapool]

Was he still alive?

 

[Bradley1]

No.. poor little guy was all dried up I felt so bad... at least I've learned a lesson for next time.

 

[Delapool]

Sad news