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Hello everyone. So, I'm very new to crayfish keeping, I've only had my big guy and his tank mates for a few months now. I didn't impulse buy him, no worries, a friend of my family didn't want him anymore, and if I didn't take him, he'd most likely either be released, killed, or given to someone who wouldn't care about him or his tank mates. Anyway, his name's Sawyer, and he recently molted for the first time since I've had him! I got to watch him do it in his hide. But here's the question: so his old owner says he never eats the claws or the head part, and the molt's falling apart, so the head part's floating anyway..is there any way that I can keep and preserve the claws and head part so I can have them? Is that creepy? I'd preferably like to dry preserve them so that I can touch them and stuff, because I'm sorry they're really cool. Is that possible? Maybe I should look at a taxidermy forum, but I thought I'd ask here haha. xx I'd post some pictures of the crayfish I father, but they're too big apparently, but he's a big electric blue boy.

Did you pull the larva out? Did it look like this?

You're on your own there. No one I know has attempted to keep the moult of a shrimp or crayfish.

I don't see how that's weird or creepy at all! Yeah, it's pretty cool! Shrimp molts usually don't hold up well once dried, but then again, I'm talking small shrimp.... larger shrimp or crays I imagine the molts should hold together better once dried and handled carefully!

Yes drying it should work.

It is strange. When I grab one they shrink into the shell/exoskeleton. I can pinch the tip a little and it feels like plastic. If it is a shell they made from their environment all there ones I've seen have the same source. When they swim it does look like it's a kind id worm inside the shell. I've attached a picture of one in the shell.

It's not a damselfly larvae or Dragon fly larvae. They don't look like that. Have you caught it yet? If you catch it, see it the long green part is a plant the larvae is hiding in. If you can separate the green part from the larvae, it's a caddis fly. Now I'm all curious to find out what it is.

Well, I’m not sure that he babies are half size. They are probably around 1/4-1/2.” Everyone is healthy, and I’ve been able to count 9 babies at one time. Hoping the now 3 new mamas drop soon! Eggs still look fairly brown.

Another vote for caddisfly??? I always forget what they're called, but they do build homes for thesemlves which help them blend in and protect them from predators.