Dwarf Cajun Crayfish in a 5 Gallon?

[Cheeseball]

     I have been researching dwarf Cajun crayfish (which are NOT a variation of dwarf Mexican crayfish, do not give me responds based on them. These Cajun Crays are quite different) and I have been wondering how many I could keep in my 5 gallon. I would assume like 2, but I want to be sure. The tank is is long/tall, I would probably add some substrate, low-light plants & moss, and a lot of rocks and stuff piled up for hiding. In addition, what sort of filtration would you recommend? I was thinking of using a sponge filter. Any info from people experienced with these tiny crays helps! 

 

Here is some info on these crays: https://pethelpful.com/misc/Cajun-Dwarf-Crayfish-Care

 

Gah. I feel like there is something I forgot too say! Oh well.

 

[jayc]

Hi @Cheeseball,

welcome to SKFA. I'm no expert on Cajun crays, but seeing how small they are, you could probably keep 4 (2x pairs) in a 5 gal. More if you have better filtration like a canister filter or a good sponge filter + a decent sized hang on filter (one that is rated multiple times the size of your tank).

Crays and shrimps are all bottom dwellers, so they don't care for tall tanks. 

[revolutionhope]

I agree with@jayc but one thing to consider if you decide you want to get more than a handful is that it would be worth googling and reading a few articles with any information about aggression. Having a taller tank wont help with this too much but you could add taller pieces of driftwood around and then some may make their home perched in nooks etc. Hiding places are a must with any crays as they are nocturnal animals and like to feel safe especially when lights are on.

According to one link I saw they are a "relatively non-aggressive" cray but I'm pretty sure the males may be rather territorial still. Based on my experience with a couple other species of crays; fights over food can occur also regardless of gender.

Love and peace

Will

[Cheeseball]

Ya, I plan to pile some stuff up/use tall stuff to maximize surface area, and hiding spots. Since I have read these crays are not too territorial, I think As long as there are a few more hiding places than there are crayfish, and a lot of surface area for doing whatever crayfish do, I should be fine. If they are too aggressive towards each other then I can get a wider tank, but I would like to try the one I have. Thanks for the input. ?

 

[Cheeseball]

Also, how often, with say... 2 crayfish and their babys, would I want to do water changes (assuming I had a large sponge filter)?

[revolutionhope]

Also, how often, with say... 2 crayfish and their babys, would I want to do water changes (assuming I had a large sponge filter)?

That would depend on the number of babies. A well populated tank should rightly have weekly water changes of around 15-25%. There's a lot of factors but generally speaking this seems to be the most commonly recommended waterchange regime in the shrimp community.

 

Some important things to consider and that need monitoring aside from the obvious ammonia and nitrite include nitrates, TDS, pH drift and gh/kh. If the tank is lightly populated then top-ups can get you through while doing monthly or less water changes. I've neglected cherry shrimp tanks which have absolutely thrived and more recently a yabby tank which has loads of babies in it without doing any water changes for months on end. I usually try to just do fortnightly changes of 25% for most of my tanks. Sometimes more if it's necessary but too big of a change can be stressful for the inhabitants.

 

One additional thing that is very important regarding water-changes is that if there is any variation at all between the tank water parameters and the new water you're adding - including temperature as well as mineral composition and pH - is to drip the new water in slowly over the course of several hours (or more).

 

Obviously the difference will be greater the longer you go without water changes and there can also be very large variations in the quality of water coming from the tap from week to week. I've been using RO/DI for a few years now but when I used tap water I remember the TDS could vary from something like ~120ppm to over 250ppm at its worst.

 

Love and peace

 

Will

[Cheeseball]

     Well, this is all great and super helpful information, but I just realized that because I am in California I might not be able to keep these crayfish, if any dwarf crayfish. ? I haven't confirmed this yet, so if anyone knows about California aquarium crayfish laws, some info would be appreciated. So far all I have found on the internet is laws governing catching crayfish,  but I assume  the laws governing keeping crayfish as pets are similar. Sad is me, but thanks for the info!

[revolutionhope]

No worries. Best of luck! Quarantine laws etc are there for good reason but it can be frustrating sometimes. :-)

Love and peace

Will