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View Full Version : Got my Krebbies today



jackalope
04-23-2009, 07:47 PM
I just got my baby Marmorkrebs today, the seller sent one extra just in case one of them didn't make it ..... cool! The six of them have their own 10 gallon tank - no fish at all ....... although I feel like putting a couple of baby Guppies in there for fresh Kreb food ;). These little gals are about 1/2" to 3/4" long and boy are they cute at that age ...... of course, my wife isn't impressed ...... she considers crawdads somewhat akin to spiders, snakes, bees, and insects of all kinds ;).

I've got some questions about raising 6 small Marmorkreb crawdad fry .....
(1) What is best to feed them for fast growth?
(2) What temps would be best for fast growth?
(3) How often should they be fed?
(4) How much should they be fed?
(5) Anything else I should know?

Note: I did disconnect the power filter pump so they won't end up in the filter in little bitty pieces ....... I have my big power filter running, but I've re-designed the bottom filter so that it works with the Cascade so the water has to go thru the undergravel filter, then into the Cascade, then return to the tank.

badflash
04-27-2009, 04:47 AM
Sorry I missed this. I'm not sure how that happened. I always check for new posts and active topics, but somehow I didn't pick this up.

I feed mine sinking catfish pellets. 1 per day per crayfish, then one more if they have polished all of it off at night.

I keep mine at 77.

Don't add fish. These are too docile and the fish will just pick off any eggs or babies.

Vacuum the bottom of the tank once a week with your water changes. Of course if this is in an aquaponics setup, water changes are not needed, but vacuuming is. These guys won't give you much of a bio-load.

BTW- A power filter sucking on an udergravel filter is what I use in my 40 gallon tank that is loaded with 'krebs. The gravel will need cleaning weekly. A 10 will be fine for now, but you should go shopping for a 20 long or breeder tank. Crays need surface area.

jackalope
04-28-2009, 04:42 PM
Are Krebs a burrowing cray? The reason I ask is that I sometimes only see one, two and up to four in the tank. They are very small yet, so I think the ten gallon will be OK for a little while longer ...... since I put them into the tank, I haven't been able to find all six at one time yet, but I counted six before I put them into the tank! I've been using ground goldfish disks, frozen shrimp, and freeze-dried tubifex worms for food, they seem to be keeping it cleaned up (no complaints to the chef so far) ...... I understand that they will eat each other IF one is moulting, so I'm hopefully going to end up with 3 or 4 adults at least :crosses fingers, toes, eyes: :roll:

JCO
04-28-2009, 06:29 PM
If you give them plenty of places to hide while molting...they will have a much greater survival rate....I mean pile in plenty of big rocks (nothing that will add minerals to the water) and make the place really craigy :mrgreen:

badflash
04-28-2009, 06:53 PM
I use PVC pipes sized to the size of the cray. If they need to be shy that gives them the chance. This is especially needed when they are in berry.

If there is no place to hide, they will find a way to escape your tank and become one with the dust bunnies :shock:

jackalope
04-29-2009, 09:40 PM
I use PVC pipes sized to the size of the cray. If they need to be shy that gives them the chance. This is especially needed when they are in berry.

If there is no place to hide, they will find a way to escape your tank and become one with the dust bunnies :shock:

I've got about 10 or 12 pvc fittings and a couple of amber candle holders in there, Maybe they're too good at hiding ;)

jackalope
05-30-2009, 10:40 PM
So far, I can count 4 that are left ....... no evidence of any others ..... so how big are they when they are 4 months old .... my largest is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches and I've only had them for about 5 weeks, they all were about the same size when I got them (about 3/4 ") - it's about time to separate her from the others, as she is twice the size of the others, and getting aggressive, ........ she's smart .... she works one of them into a corner, and then goes after it ..... they always get away, but I'm thinking the 10 gallon tank is shrinking for her and she is being territorial (?) ;) I'll say one thing for these krebs, they sure like frozen shrimp ....... the P. Acutus just ignore them, but the 'krebs go after them like sugar candy ;) If the dried tubifex would sink instead of float, I'd bet they would chow down on them too ;)
Didn't I read somewheres that they shed their exoskeleton about 7 times before they get to full size?

badflash
05-31-2009, 06:29 AM
I would provide separate tanks for each cray. 10 gallons is just about right for one. If they were all getting the same amount to eat, they would all grow at the same rate. Being 'Krebs, they are genetically the same. In a 10 gallon tank you don't have much margin between feeding just right and over feeding and fouling the tank.

Set up a big tub outside. 'krebs are cold hearty as long as they don't freeze. A non-metalic stock tank works well. I feed mine sinking trout pellets, and that works fine. They also get some duckweed when they want it.