Hi. So I have a crayfish about 2 inches maybe even 1.5. Yesterday I thought he was dead because he was on his back. Then he started moving. I realized he was molting so I took a time lapse and in the 6 hour time lapse his molt had progressed a TINY very tiny bit. That was at 4 pm I found him on his back Yesterday. It is now 9 am and his shell has not even moved. He is moving still, but the molt should have been done by now or even a little further progressed right?
Juvenile crayfish stuck molting?
- Thread starter Beansz
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
ADsnail
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2020
- Messages
- 433
I'm guessing this is his first molt? They usually come through just fine, but brace yourself - sometimes they don't complete a molt successfully.
They back out of their shells; the head and forward claws are the last to come out. Has he backed out at all?
Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to help him along. The best help you can give is to not add to the stress by leaving him alone (don't poke him to see if he's alive) and, turn out the lights. Good luck to your little guy.
They back out of their shells; the head and forward claws are the last to come out. Has he backed out at all?
Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to help him along. The best help you can give is to not add to the stress by leaving him alone (don't poke him to see if he's alive) and, turn out the lights. Good luck to your little guy.
So just sent and checked on him. All he has shed is his claw. I don't see any of thr other so I think only 1 little pincher. Which is odd because he hasn't shed the rest of his body. I think this may be his first molt. He probably will end up getting stuck
ADsnail
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2020
- Messages
- 433
I'm sorry to hear that. Did he make it?
ADsnail
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2020
- Messages
- 433
My condolences. They are such characters with lively personalities. I've lost a couple due to other circumstances and it is hard to get over them. Sorry for your loss
Sometimes the water the little guy is in is too hard, and makes the shell too hard to get out of/ complete the molt. The cray would need plenty of minerals in the food it eats / an appropriate diet for a cray, to eat because that is needed to make the shell.
It could have been when the little guy was at the location before you got him, and as AD mentioned it can also just happen when they are little babies.
What kind of Cray was it?
Do you know what your water parameters are?
Especially GH/KH and pH?
Referring back to AquaticArts dot com - For Procambarus Clarkii and Alleni refer to 6.5-7.5 pH and KH 6-15 dKH and 65-76F.
Similar for Cherax.
Those numbers could be slightly different if bred and raised in local conditions which were somewhat different.
Very sorry to hear it didn't make it. Over the years I have really loved the couple of regular Crayfish I have had, and continue to adore the Dwarf Crays. Just do not have room for the bigger ones at the moment. My last was a Ghost and was really fun to feed and would come over to the top DW to greet me (or to get food, lol). Very fun. I hope you are successful with a new one.
What are/were you feeding?
It could have been when the little guy was at the location before you got him, and as AD mentioned it can also just happen when they are little babies.
What kind of Cray was it?
Do you know what your water parameters are?
Especially GH/KH and pH?
Referring back to AquaticArts dot com - For Procambarus Clarkii and Alleni refer to 6.5-7.5 pH and KH 6-15 dKH and 65-76F.
Similar for Cherax.
Those numbers could be slightly different if bred and raised in local conditions which were somewhat different.
Very sorry to hear it didn't make it. Over the years I have really loved the couple of regular Crayfish I have had, and continue to adore the Dwarf Crays. Just do not have room for the bigger ones at the moment. My last was a Ghost and was really fun to feed and would come over to the top DW to greet me (or to get food, lol). Very fun. I hope you are successful with a new one.
What are/were you feeding?
