▷ Fire Crayfish in the Aquarium | All information and details

Fire Crayfish data sheet

German name:
Fire Crayfish, also known as Orange Tip Crayfish

Scientific name:
Cherax snowden

Origin:
Papua/Irian Jaya, Vogelkop Peninsula

Size:
Body length up to 12 cm (without claws)

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 80 cm width

Contents:
from 130 liters

water values

Temperature:
18°-28° C

pH:
6.5 – 8.2

GH:
5° – 20° dH

Behave

Area:
Floor

Lining:
mostly herbivoresgranules, frozen food, fresh food (spinach, nettles, vegetables), autumn leaves, flake food

Behave:
peacefulcrepuscular and nocturnal, not an active hunter

Number:
Single keeping, pair keeping

Difficulty level:
Beginner

Christian Lukhaup, Jörn Panteleit, Anne Schrimpf, Cherax snowden habitus (B) male Indonesia, CC BY 3.0

The species first became Recognized as independent in 2015. Until then, the animals were considered a variation of Cherax holthuisi. They were named Cherax holthuisi “orange tip” or Cherax sp. Marked Orange Tip.

The animals are mainly active during the twilight and night hours. Once they have settled into the aquarium, they like to show themselves during the day.

Look

The attractive crabs are easy to keep. There are in different color variants. Either the body is dark olive green to black with bright orange-red serrated claws, or greenish brown with orange claws. The juveniles are more inconspicuously colored. Only when they grow larger and reach sexual maturity do the colors become stronger.

gender differences

The Genders can be distinguished relatively easily. Males have their gonopods below their fifth pair of legs. Two peaks are clearly visible. In females, the gonopods are located at the base of the third pair of legs. With them they are pea-shaped.

Posture recommendation

In a well-structured aquarium, the crabs should sufficient caves, roots, stones or clay pipes as hiding places find. Plants and decorative structures should not tip over so that the Orange Tip cannot undermine or knock them over. The crabs walk a lot along the outer walls of the tank. This area should be left empty, otherwise they like to redecorate. If the food contains enough vegetable components, leave the aquarium plants alone.

The Pool must be coveredso that the animals cannot climb out.

breed

After successful mating, the female places the eggs under her abdomen. She carries the 40 to 80 eggs there for 7 to 9 weeks. out of them ready young crabs hatchwho stay close to their mother for the first few days. Then they go their own way. The parent animals do not take care of the young and do not prey on them. If they have enough space, the young crabs are also peaceful among themselves. She need hiding places during the moulting phase.

The boys grow up slowly.

socialization

Fire crabs are suitable for community tanks. Good partners are dwarf shrimp and small to medium-sized fish that live in the middle and upper range.

Long arm shrimp, fan shrimp and other crustaceans are not recommended. Equally unsuitable are fish with long fins or fish that live on the bottom. They could be pinched or eaten. Cherax snowden is not an active hunter, there are exceptions in individual cases.

The Orange Tip likes to crack open and eat snails.