Water Parameter for Crayfish / Crawfish

Crayfish can be farmed in large freshwater ponds, a practice known as aquaculture, for food. The most commonly farmed species are Red Claw Crayfish (Cherax Quadricarinatus) in Southeast Asia and Australia and  Red Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in America. Aquaculture fields typically are shallow ponds sometimes filled with swamp weeds and grass. The substrate of the pond is mud, preferably with a high clay content to prevent water from draining away.



For either aquariums or aquaculture ponds, crayfish have certain preferred water parameters. Crayfish have a wide temperature tolerance range of between 65 and 85 degrees, although crayfish can survive at higher or lower temperatures. Crayfish also can tolerate a wide pH range of about 6.5 to 8.0, a much wider range than many fish. However, like most crustaceans, crayfish do not tolerate high levels of nitrate, so the water must be regularly replaced with fresh water.