Marbled Crayfish cloneing

[screaminleeman]

The FW Invertabrnt section does not seem to get much attantion, and I guess "cloneing" is a type of "breeding" so maybe the question should have been posted here instead.

In short, many months I bought numerous of these self cloning crayfish and gave each it's own tank. All crayfish were given their own tank in the 10G to 40G range, while one got stuck in a 5 gallon.

The crayfish are all healthy, active and eating well. I have only seen "molting" in these crayfish around a handful of times. Not one single crayfish in ANY of the tanks 10G and above have cloned. The 5 gallon tank has now had three generations of cloned Mokrebs!

The water parameters are extremely close in all but two of the larger tanks where (Heated). I have also seeded the larger tanks with cloned babies just in case the species was in question. No doubt that the baby clones that have grown are 100% the self cloning type even if only one of the original crayfish I purchased was truely the Mokreb species.

I just don't get it. Is 5 Gallons on the "large" size for a crayfish, and 10G or more way too big and not allowing for the Mokreb(s) to clone?

 

[jakeca77]

I have had 2 in a unheated 10 gallon for a couple of months now. The guy I got them from said that they should be able to reproduce for another 4 months or so at their size but I already have about 20 juvies crawling around. I wouldn't think you would need a heated tank for these guys. The pH in the water I have mine in is 7.0 and I feed them shrimp pellets, flakes, chopped spinach and algae wafers. I use a sponge filter and I also throw some MT snails in every now and then for good measure.
I wouldn't think that tank size should matter so I would suspect that they don't like the heated water? Try turning off a heater in one of the larger tanks and see what happens. Do you have a sponge filter or a guard of some kind on your filter intake?

 

[screaminleeman]

I have had 2 in a unheated 10 gallon for a couple of months now. The guy I got them from said that they should be able to reproduce for another 4 months or so at their size but I already have about 20 juvies crawling around. I wouldn't think you would need a heated tank for these guys. The pH in the water I have mine in is 7.0 and I feed them shrimp pellets, flakes, chopped spinach and algae wafers. I use a sponge filter and I also throw some MT snails in every now and then for good measure.
I wouldn't think that tank size should matter so I would suspect that they don't like the heated water? Try turning off a heater in one of the larger tanks and see what happens. Do you have a sponge filter or a guard of some kind on your filter intake?

Both in all tanks. I started as a HOB newbie. I have found some challenges from even the best HOB IMO (Aquaclear) with impellor stoppage requiring a "flick" to restart. I have numerous sponge filters in all 20 or so of my tanks. I think that they are extrememly easy, maintenance free, dependable and extrememly effective bio. filtration. In addition I am 180 degrees out of wack with those who believe these to be "ugly in tank" or "water space wasters". I think that they make amoungst the BEST non-natural aquarium ornamentation in the hobby. Great hiding places, cover & support for fry, and beneficial to tank water oxydization.