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Blue Moon Crayfish
Cherax pulcher
Animalia›Arthropoda›Malacostraca›Decapoda›Parastacidae
📍 Eastern Australia
The Blue Moon Crayfish is a striking freshwater crayfish native to Australia, prized for its vibrant blue coloration and relatively manageable size. This species is moderately aggressive and territorial, making it suitable for experienced aquarists willing to provide robust tank setup and careful tankmate selection. It is an opportunistic omnivore that will consume plants, small fish, and invertebrates.
Care Guide
Diet
Feed sinking pellets, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), and protein sources such as bloodworms or small shrimp 3-4 times per week. Provide calcium-rich foods and cuttlebone fragments to support healthy molting. Reduce feeding during molting periods.
Behavior
Nocturnal and highly territorial, the Blue Moon Crayfish will establish and defend a burrow or shelter. It is an escape artist and requires a tight-fitting lid. During molting, it becomes vulnerable and may hide for extended periods. It will readily consume plants, small fish, and invertebrates, making careful tankmate selection essential.
Breeding
Breeding in captivity is possible but challenging and rarely achieved in home aquaria. Females produce eggs that are carried under the tail; fry are released as miniature adults. Breeding requires pristine water conditions, ample food, and minimal disturbance. Most hobbyists do not attempt breeding.
Tank Mates
Hardy plant that resists grazing; attach to hardscape to prevent uprooting
Will be nibbled and uprooted; use as sacrificial plant or secure firmly
Large pleco may compete for space and food; nocturnal overlap increases conflict risk
Tough plant; secure to hardscape to prevent damage
Large, aggressive fish; may attack crayfish or be attacked; requires very large tank
May compete for food and shelter; nocturnal activity overlap increases aggression
Common Diseases
Molting Dysfunction
Crayfish stuck in old exoskeleton, inability to shed, lethargy, loss of appetite
Ensure adequate calcium intake via cuttlebone or mineral supplements; maintain stable water parameters; provide humid shelter; do not disturb during molting process
Shell Rot (Bacterial Infection)
Soft spots on shell, discoloration, foul odor, visible lesions or pitting on carapace
Perform frequent water changes to reduce bacterial load; improve water quality and aeration; remove decaying food and waste; consider antibiotic treatment in severe cases if available
Parasitic Infection
Visible parasites on body or gills, lethargy, loss of appetite, abnormal behavior
Quarantine affected crayfish; perform water changes; treat with appropriate antiparasitic medication if available; maintain excellent water quality
Copper Toxicity
Lethargy, loss of appetite, discoloration, tremors, death
Perform immediate large water change; avoid all copper-based medications and treatments; use copper-free plant fertilizers and medications; crayfish are highly sensitive to copper
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Quick Facts
- diet
- omnivore; feeds on sinking pellets, blanched vegetables, protein sources (bloodworms, shrimp), and calcium-rich foods for molting support
- lifespan
- 4-6 years
- max size
- 14 cm (5.5 in)
- tank size
- 30 gallons minimum
- temperament
- semi-aggressive
Water it likes
- ph
- 6.5-8.0
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 6-12 dGH
- temperature
- 64–75°F (18–24°C)