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Red Claw Crayfish
Cherax quadricarinatus
Animalia›Arthropoda›Malacostraca›Decapoda›Parastacidae
📍 Eastern Australia
The Red Claw Crayfish is a large, aggressive freshwater crayfish native to Australia, prized for its striking red claws and robust appearance. These opportunistic omnivores are hardy and relatively easy to care for, making them popular with intermediate aquarists. However, they are highly territorial and will consume plants, small fish, and invertebrates, requiring careful tankmate selection and substantial space.
Care Guide
Diet
Red Claws are opportunistic omnivores requiring a varied diet of high-quality sinking pellets, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach, carrot), and protein sources such as bloodworms and small shrimp. Calcium supplementation is critical during molting cycles to prevent shell deformities. Feed 2-3 times weekly, removing uneaten food after 24 hours to maintain water quality.
Behavior
Red Claws are primarily nocturnal and highly territorial, establishing dominance through aggressive displays and combat with conspecifics and other large invertebrates. They are prolific burrowers and escape artists requiring a secure, tight-fitting lid and substantial hardscape (caves, PVC pipes) for refuge. These crayfish will readily consume live plants, small fish, shrimp, and snails; they should only be housed with large, fast, armored fish or kept singly.
Breeding
Breeding Red Claws in captivity is challenging and rarely successful in home aquaria. Females produce 200-600 eggs and exhibit strong maternal care, but fry require specialized rearing conditions with abundant microhabitats and live food. Most hobbyists do not attempt breeding due to space and resource demands.
Tank Mates
Large, armored pleco may coexist but risk of predation on smaller specimens or conflict during feeding
Large, aggressive cichlid; may compete for territory and food; requires very large tank (100+ gallons)
Aggressive cichlid; potential for conflict; only viable in very large, heavily structured tanks
Hardy, tough plant; crayfish may uproot but unlikely to consume; provides cover
Durable plant attached to hardscape; resistant to crayfish damage; offers shelter
Tough, low-nutrient plant; crayfish may disturb but rarely consume; good for cover
Common Diseases
Molting Dysfunction / Shell Rot
Difficulty shedding exoskeleton, soft or deformed shell after molt, white or fuzzy patches on shell, lethargy, loss of appetite
Ensure adequate calcium and iodine supplementation; maintain stable water parameters (pH 7.0-8.0, hardness 8+ dGH); provide clean water with frequent partial changes; remove crayfish to isolation tank if shell rot is severe; treat with antifungal medication if secondary infection occurs
Parasitic Infection (Branchiobdella / Crayfish Scutariella)
Visible worm-like parasites on gills or body, excessive grooming behavior, lethargy, reduced feeding, gill damage
Perform 50% water change and improve water quality; treat with fenbendazole or levamisole per dosing instructions; isolate infected crayfish; maintain optimal water conditions to boost immune response; repeat treatment after 7-10 days if necessary
Copper Toxicity
Lethargy, loss of appetite, erratic swimming, color fading, difficulty molting, death
Immediately perform large water change (75%+) to dilute copper; check all medications, fertilizers, and tap water for copper content; use copper-free treatments only; avoid copper-based algaecides and medications; use activated carbon in filter; maintain proper water hardness to reduce copper bioavailability
Bacterial Infection / Septicemia
Red streaking on legs or body, lesions or open sores, cloudy eyes, lethargy, loss of appetite, death within days
Isolate affected crayfish immediately; perform frequent water changes; treat with broad-spectrum antibiotic (e.g., tetracycline) if available; maintain pristine water quality; remove any dead or decaying matter; ensure adequate nutrition and calcium for immune support
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Omnivore; feeds on sinking pellets, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), protein (bloodworms, shrimp), and calcium-rich foods for molting support
- lifespan
- 5-7 years
- max size
- 30 cm (12 in)
- tank size
- 75 gallons minimum
- temperament
- aggressive
Water it likes
- ph
- 6.5-8.0
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 8-15 dGH
- temperature
- 68–77°F (20–25°C)