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| Procambarus Alleni / Blue Crawfish |
Common Names: Electric Blue Crayfish/Crawfish/Crawdads, Florida Crayfish/Crawfish/Crawdads
Family: Cambaridae
Order: Decapoda
Class: Malacostraca
Max. size: Upto 7-8 inches
Procambarus Alleni is a species of freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida. Its natural range is the area east of St. Johns River and all of Florida from Levy County and Marion County southwards, as well as on some of the Florida Keys. It is widely sold in the aquarium trade under a variety of names, including the blue crayfish or electric blue crayfish. It is included on the IUCN Red List as a species of Least Concern.
Coloration: Generally entire body is blue. Some will show red sides or speckling throughout the underbellies. Back plates are often speckled blue with lighter and darker patches. Aquarium trade breeds are usually all brilliant blue. Wild caught are blue, brown, and red.
Environment: Freshwater
Origin Habitat: Florida Everglades, throughout the peninsula areas of Marion and Levy counties and possibly through the keys.
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| Procambarus Alleni |
Water parameters: pH of 6.5-8.5, soft to hard water, and temperature of 65-85 F. This is a very hardy species and quickly adjusts to almost all changes. Won’t tolerate ammonia and nitrites as much as common fish however.
Aquarium setup: At least 30 gallons for a single crayfish. Provide plenty of hiding places as they do commonly hide in darker spaces during the day. Keep with descent sized fish that can quickly evade the crayfish. Keep the cover tight on the tank and provide no holes as this species will clamp onto cords and hoses and climb out of the tank. Larger aggressive cichlids should not be kept with the crayfish as they may attack and torment it.
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| Electric Blue Crawfish |
Feeding: The crayfish will filter feed off the bottom as well as accept wafers and crab bites. The fish will snack on dead or dying fish but is generally too slow to catch fish that are still living. When molting the species will eat it own molt to regain vital nutrients that were lost.
Breeding: They breed throughout the year. The female will carry the eggs under her tail section or swimmerets. Once hatched try to provide adequate rooming and caves, rocks for each to hide. If adequate space is not available cannibalism will occur, as crayfish will eat each other. Usually breeding period until hatched is around 1 month.
Electric Blue crayfish were first brought into the hobby in florida. Every year the crayfish hobby grows stronger, seems everyone would like to have this amazing creature. Blue crayfish are not only for looks, crayfish are great scavengers that eat debris off aquarium floors and ornaments. Alleni crayfish can generally be kept with fast non aggressive fish such as neons, do not keep them with cichlids or any other aggressive fish. All crayfish moly, they need to do this to grow, when they molt, there shell is very soft, they will need to hide a few weeks. Its difficult to say when they will molt, generally every couple of months. Crayfish growth depends on a few factors, the water temperature ( warm = fast ) , the amount fed, and the aquarium size.
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