Do you think you want a crayfish as a pet? Remember, there are all sorts of things to think about when owning this exotic pet.

fishbowl

First, you will need to invest in a fish intake with a water pump and filter. Also, if you plan to keep other fish to accompany your pet crayfish, you will need to consider the size of the tank. That’s because crayfish are aggressive scavengers. They are omnivores who like to eat practically everything. This means your fish too. So if you plan to keep multiple fish, sometimes you will need to purchase a larger tank.

water changes

River crayfish are quite hardy animals. I mean they can live in almost any filth. However, you will need to do frequent water changes with a pet crawfish. Partly because these animals create a lot of waste, but also because they can make your tank look ugly very quickly and create an unhealthy environment for any other fish in your tank. Doing regular water changes isn’t difficult, it’s just something you have to remember to do regularly. Some people do them weekly and others do them biweekly.

the other fish

If you do decide to put other fish in your tank with your pet crawfish, you will need to consider which fish you select as tank mates. Fish that swim near the top of the tank, that are fast and/or aggressive, will make the best tank mates for crayfish. However, there is never a guarantee that a fish will survive living with a crayfish. It is always possible that you wake up one morning and one of your fish is missing from your tank. It’s happened to me before, unfortunately.

a place to hide

Crayfish can also fall victim to attacks from other fish, believe it or not. This is most likely to happen when a crayfish sheds its skin or when your pet crayfish sheds its exoskeleton. When a crayfish sheds its exoskeleton, it is weak and squishy. It’s not too aggressive either. Because of this, it is sometimes attacked by other fish. For this reason, it is very important to have hiding places in your fish tank for when crayfish shed their skins. Actually, your pet crab will like to have a hiding place anyway. These animals like to burrow and hide many times, when they are not on the prowl hunting everything in sight. PVC pipe can be used as a hiding place for your pet’s crayfish, or you can buy them cheaply online or at most pet stores.