View Full Version : Air pump with crayfish?
landmineyouth
11-30-2005, 3:43 AM
Hey guys Ive heard mixed feelings about this. They say you arent supposed to keep a crayfish with water too far over his head because they need to breathe air....
An air pump was suggested to me... but im sick of it. Would a 5" crayfish be fine in a 10 gallon tank w/ no air pump? Keep in mind im running a 10-gallon whisper filter... would that provide enough airation? I can add a 2nd filter of the same size if necasary.
rallysman
11-30-2005, 7:50 AM
I keep mine in a full 29 and he has been in there for a long time. All i have for agitation is a filter.
Oddball
11-30-2005, 10:32 AM
No problem in a 10. I've caught crayfish in 4ft of water and I maintain my crays in 38" deep stock tanks.
Bear in mind that there are many types of crayfish, in Virginia there is a type that lives in chimnied burrows instead of in the water, that kind might drown, most will not as long as the water is not stagnant, just your filter should work fine. air pumps just increase surface movement any way, if worried you could replace it with a small powerhead.
softturtle
11-30-2005, 3:08 PM
I think most crayfish will burrow if a water source is not available. I find crayfish in these little "volcano looking" holes in the ground all the time in the summer and fall. They are also the same ones I find in the lakes and streams around here.
landmineyouth
11-30-2005, 10:08 PM
What would you say to this then, guppy?
"Ok, it's a tough call. Will it work, yes. But why the resistance to an air pump? The big issue is water quality. And a big part of that is the Dissolved Oxygen. So, more water movement is definitely a good thing. The concern I would have with less water in a deep tank is if the filter can draw enough water up to it. IF the filter has no problem drawing the water, then the increased fall and splashing will circulate the water and aerate it as well or better than an air pump for the most part."
Was told this on a different board...
joeytoe
11-30-2005, 10:14 PM
I think youd Def need some sort of water agitation to get Oxygen into the water. I can remember from years ago catching crayfish an keeping them in a 3 gal plastic goldfish bowl with No air an no agitation an they died in a day. :(
guppy
11-30-2005, 10:58 PM
I am not against air pumps, the bubbles agitate the surface and increase motion leading to more gas exchange. You were asking if you could do without one, I think you can for most species. I also think that most water dwellers do better with higher O2 levels and a small power head in the right position increases surface motion with less noise.
Very few species of crayfish voluntarily spend time out of water and the more water you have in the tank the easier it is to stabalize your water parameters.
ShadowVengance
12-01-2005, 7:10 PM
i kept a river caught crayfish in a 5 gallon plastic tupperware tub with some rocks for 3 months without anything other than a 20% daily waterchange.
it didn't die, molted twice, and I realized him back to where I got him from, fed it shrimp pellets.
I agree with the fact that it probably depends on the type of crayfish, the ones over here are completly underwater all the time, i've never seen one on land unless it was dragged out by a predator.
ChickenTeeth
12-02-2005, 9:30 PM
I tink u should have some artifacts in the tank to allow the crayfisH to climb out and be out of the water if they want. Not just to meet any oxygen requirements. Cuz they can breath under water and in atmospheric air, there must be a succint reason they may choose to breath air. Just cuz we don't know why, we should'nt be too quick to say they don't need to.