CPO Dwarf Crayfish care advice and tips

[Hoobfoob]

Hi everyone! I'm getting some orange Dwarf crayfish sometime this week and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with them. I've read all I can find on them on google, so I think I've got a handle on it, but nothing beats hands on experience!

I'm starting off putting two crays (1 male 1 female) in an 18 gallon tank. HOB filter and heater are installed and it's already cycled. It has a plant (java fern I think) in it already but I am getting more plants and some moss in the mail this week. I have two caves right now and also some PVC pipes I'm getting ready for them. I am looking for some spider wood to create a "mangrove" for them to hide in and climb on.

I will be feeding them a mixture of Hikari crab food, frozen blood worms (as a treat), some fish flakes, and blanched veggies (we always have frozen peas).

Those are my plans so far. Anyone have any input?

The unfinished tank as of today:

 

[skrapeNKA]

I just added one of them to my tank last week and it seems to be doing well (molted once already!). There's only one cave-like spot in the tank right now, but I rarely catch it hanging out there; seems to prefer hiding under/in the java moss wad or just roaming the tank. Moderately planted with a sand substrate, some driftwood pieces, and tankmates (corydoras habrosus, RCS, espei and chili rasboras). I am dosing Excel at recommended dosage every other day-ish and haven't seen any problems with any inverts in the tank. Seems pretty active during the day time and eats the algae wafers pretty peacefully (for the most part) with everyone else.

 

[Hoobfoob]

I just added one of them to my tank last week and it seems to be doing well (molted once already!). There's only one cave-like spot in the tank right now, but I rarely catch it hanging out there; seems to prefer hiding under/in the java moss wad or just roaming the tank. Moderately planted with a sand substrate, some driftwood pieces, and tankmates (corydoras habrosus, RCS, espei and chili rasboras). I am dosing Excel at recommended dosage every other day-ish and haven't seen any problems with any inverts in the tank. Seems pretty active during the day time and eats the algae wafers pretty peacefully (for the most part) with everyone else.

Aww congrats on your new cray! I'm glad it's doing well That's honestly a lot more active than I thought they would be, so that's kind of a fun surprise. I'm super excited for mine! Due to arrive on Wednesday.

 

[skrapeNKA]

I was pleasantly surprised, too! The only other thing that immediately comes to mind is that I thought it died while I was drip acclimating! When I netted it out, the little guy didn't move or react at all, and it wasn't until he was sinking into my wisteria crowns that he seemed to miraculously spring to life again. Maybe it fell asleep?!

 

[Hoobfoob]

They came today! I love them! They're so active. I can't wait to finish their tank so they'll have more climbing spots and places to explore. ?[emoji173]

Also, decided I'm changing the substrate to something darker. They're most the exact color of the gravel I'm using right now. Oops!

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Aww, congratulations on your new friends, they're adorable! I love their coloration, and I can't wait to see what you do with the tank.

 

[Hoobfoob]

Climbing on the dwarf tears. They love it!

 

[skrapeNKA]

They look great! Mine loves climbing the mosses and driftwood. Have you noticed any aggression between them? I'd like to add another 1-2 but had read they can get feisty sometimes.

 

[Hoobfoob]

They look great! Mine loves climbing the mosses and driftwood. Have you noticed any aggression between them? I'd like to add another 1-2 but had read they can get feisty sometimes.

They did indeed have a little fight when they finally met, but it only lasted about 30 seconds. They pretty much stay on their own sides of the tank now lol

 

[Kazin]

Nice tank! Maybe consider some cholla wood or other caves if you're going to add more. Even if you have less CPO than the recommended limit per gallon, you also usually want to have one more cave than the CPO you have so they don't have to fight all the time. CPO will rearrange smaller plants on the ground as they see fit, so keep an eye out :O

 

[KhrisCross]

Crayfish are great pets, I've had plenty of them, and people say not to keep them with fish .... But they aren't very good at catching fish XD ... None of mine have ever killed a fish ..... But they have all killed each other or themselves..... Definitely be sure to feed them separately and enough to avoid fighting and definitely make sure there is a lid that covers the ENTIRE tank .... Mine had a teeeeeny tiiiinyy opening in front of the filter and somehow they still managed to shoot out and pick a fight with the dog

 

[Hoobfoob]

Nice tank! Maybe consider some cholla wood or other caves if you're going to add more. Even if you have less CPO than the recommended limit per gallon, you also usually want to have one more cave than the CPO you have so they don't have to fight all the time. CPO will rearrange smaller plants on the ground as they see fit, so keep an eye out :O

They're so small they can barely lift one gravel pebble, how the heck will they be able to rearrange the plants? Hahaha! I do have two more pvc pipe caves that I just need to finish up so they'll have more hiding places. Cholla wood looks really cool so maybe I'll look for that too

 

[Hoobfoob]

Crayfish are great pets, I've had plenty of them, and people say not to keep them with fish .... But they aren't very good at catching fish XD ... None of mine have ever killed a fish ..... But they have all killed each other or themselves..... Definitely be sure to feed them separately and enough to avoid fighting and definitely make sure there is a lid that covers the ENTIRE tank .... Mine had a teeeeeny tiiiinyy opening in front of the filter and somehow they still managed to shoot out and pick a fight with the dog

These little guys I don't think would be able to hurt even a nano fish, let alone like a tetra or something lol...They'll likely have their tank to themselves though. I definitely tried to feed them separately but they hide really well so so far I've just had to put the food in and hope they'll find the two separate pellets/bloodworms.

I can only imagine the battle that ensued LOL! The bigger of my two CPOs often charges at me when I walk by the tank with his claws up ready to fight me. Like oh sorry big guy, I'll give you your space lol

 

[Hoobfoob]

@khriscross You were right about feeding them separately...my crays dukes it out tonight when I fed them before they realized there was enough food for the both of them. It was entertaining but I was a little concerned for a minute too!

 

[Hoobfoob]

Added their pvc pipe caves. They look pretty goofy right now but I like them!

I smeared aquarium safe silicone glue on the pipes and then rolled them in sand. The thought process behind that was to give it texture for something the java fern grip its roots onto. I tied the baby java ferns with brown thread.

The only thing I don't like is how stark white they are, but I wasn't sure of a tank-safe way to color them. Oh well!

 

[Kazin]

They're so small they can barely lift one gravel pebble, how the heck will they be able to rearrange the plants? Hahaha! I do have two more pvc pipe caves that I just need to finish up so they'll have more hiding places. Cholla wood looks really cool so maybe I'll look for that too

HAHA by rearrange I more was thinking along the lines of dig up and remove from the substrate. They for whatever reason pulled up my dwarf hairgrass strand by strand until it was all floating at the top of my tank! They even try to eat the roots of DHG sometimes.

I think that you CAN keep CPOs with fish, but with caution. In my experience, CPOs are the extremely angry and extremely slow cranky old men of the aquarium. They seem to have a problem with everything around them. They will attack fish, shrimp, other CPOs, plants that happen to be in their way, etc., but weakly and with extremely low rates of success. Once in a blue moon they may actually catch something, especially bottom dwelling fish or shrimp. They do eat a lot of snails successfully.

I kept a male HMPK betta with a CPO for about two years. They both tried to find weaknesses in each other's defense from time to time, but they never did harm each other. I think it was a pretty good match. Maybe give a betta a try?

 

[Hoobfoob]

Well I woke up this morning to a dead crayfish. I feel terrible. When I netted him out he was missing a claw so I think the other cray got him. It must have happened last night after I fed them. I feel so bad.

 

[Autumnsky]

I got a berried female from the lfs long ago. Let me tell you in the wild these guys would have more room for their territory.

They will kill each other. Eat each other after molting, the babies ended up from many down to one. I would recommend keeping the one to start with. Cholla wood and leaf litter like oak tree/ mulberry leaves (you might have some) Some small twiggy DW so it can climb. Of course no fish that could eat it.

It is the tiny orange thing at the bottom right in a 6.6G Edge.

 

[Hoobfoob]

I read on MULTIPLE websites that CPO crayfish were fairly peaceful and wouldn't cause too much trouble if they were given their space. I am definitely getting conflicting information. I figured 20 gallons would have been enough space for two, and I only saw them fight twice so I figured they were fine, but I guess not. I feel kinda dumb but also a little duped I guess? Oh well, I'll spoil this crayfish then. I'm getting cholla wood and driftwood very soon for it.

 

[Autumnsky]

I would have thought 20G would have been enough too. Maybe they had something to settle. Maybe one was especially cranky.

Are you sure there was a body in the shell and it didn't just molt?

I was told they were pretty peaceful too but they weren't. I never found bodies in my tank, just the occasional molt shell, so I am pretty sure they were eating each other. They are not always really peaceful in hearing others stories. Have heard of ones being fine together.

Enjoy the one you have. I always used a cuttlebone like for birds in the back corner of the tank too for minerals, though my water is low on mineral content and a little soft.