Red Lobster

<p>This is a species of crayfish native to the Southeastern United States but many of specimens are tank-raised. Though often seen as a delicacy, it makes a great addition to the home aquarium. This species of crawfish is fairly hardy and is easy to keep in captivity within the proper parameters.</p> <p>Red Lobster only grows to a maximum size of around 5 inches, which makes them well suited for both freshwater aquariums and backyard ponds. They are extremely hardy and will winter successfully with only a few inches of substrate for burrowing and a partially frozen pond. If kept in outdoor water gardens, many will hibernate during the winter months to survive.</p> <p>Scavengers such as Red Lobsters play a very important role in creating a balanced ecosystem. Freshwater aquariums and outdoor ponds are frequently plagued by excessive amounts of waste, debris, left-over food, and algae - all of which settle on substrate and decorations. They feed upon wastes before they are broken down by bacteria, which, in turn, helps control problematic nutrients and algae. Thankfully, common Red Lobsters offer a natural, efficient solution to keeping your aquarium or pond clean. Red Lobsters are extremely efficient scavengers that will also bring interesting behavior and variety to your freshwater aquarium or pond. If housed in a pond in an area that experiences freezing winters, be sure to use a de-icer to keep an open hole in the ice for proper gas exchange. Provide places within the pond that contain a few inches of sandy or soil-based substrate for the lobsters to hibernate in.</p> <p>For best care, keep the Red Lobster in an aquarium or pond of at least 40 gallons. It requires plenty of rocks for shelter and moderately sized substrate in which it can burrow. The Red Lobster can be aggressive towards its own kind and requires plenty of room for individual territories. Therefore, larger aquariums or ponds will be needed if housing more than one Red Lobster. When housing more than one Red Lobster, provide at least 40 gallons per lobster and include plenty of cover including both rocks and plants. For best results, we recommend keeping this lobster in a tank with a pH level of 6.5-85 and a temperature of 65-90° F and hardness between 6-15 dkH. However, they can survive up below than 65°F up to 33°F.</p> <p>The Red Lobster will not typically bother fish however they prey upon any fish that is both small and slow enough for it to catch. Fortunately, koi and goldfish larger than the lobster do not fit this description. However, exercise caution if you plan to breed koi within your pond; we recommend moving the newly hatched fry to a separate rearing system. They may also eat plants within the aquarium if sufficient food is not available.</p> <p>Crayfish are cannibalistic by nature, and when a crayfish molt it is nearly defenseless until its shell hardens again. During this time, it will hide for a few days, so don’t be too alarmed if a crayfish disappear for up to a week at a time. Because of this, it is very important to provide numerous hiding places and enough space for each crayfish in the aquarium –  unless someone wants their crayfish to become an expensive meal for the other tank inhabitants.</p> <p>The filtration for a crayfish should usually be a HOB (Hang-on-back) filter. While a sponge filter is cheaper than a HOB filter, the airline leading out of the tank gives the crayfish a perfect escape route. </p> <p>Crayfish generate large amounts of waste products that can be taxing on standard aquarium filtration systems. This means you’ll need to stay on top of your water changes in order to ensure that you crayfish enjoys a clean living environment. To change the water in your tank, first drain ¼-½ of its total volume, then slowly top it off with fresh, clean water. <sup id="_ref-6" class="reference" aria-label="Link to Reference 6"></sup>If your tank doesn’t have a filter, it may be necessary to increase the frequency of your water changes to twice a week.</p>

<p>An excellent scavenger for ponds or aquariums, the Red Lobster will feed upon any leftover food or detritus that settles on the bottom. It is also a great algae controller and will eat any filamentous algae that may form upon the rocks or substrate. However, the diet of the Red Lobster should be supplemented with sinking pellet and flake foods, as well as with dried algae.</p> <p>Moreover, all crayfish species main diet should be comprised of sinking Shrimp Pellets. Feeding your crayfish with a small number of shrimp pellets once a day is best. Sinking shrimp pellets or lobster bites should make up the majority of your crayfish’s diet. Pellet-type foods are high in protein and contain all the nutrients crayfish need to grow and develop healthy shells. Sprinkle the pellets around all of your pet’s favorite hiding spots to make it easy for it to get to them. However, they also enjoy some green vegetables and frozen foods in their diet. They are not picky when it comes to green vegetables and can be offered cabbage leaves, zucchini medallions, and shelled peas. As for frozen foods, they happily accept small portions of frozen fish, daphnia, bloodworms, and brine shrimp.</p> <p>Crayfish love aquatic plants and will eat any that are put in the tank with them. An adult crayfish can strip a heavily planted aquarium bare in a matter of days. So while it may be a good place to dispose of unwanted plant clippings, you should never put any plants in their aquarium that aren’t replaceable.</p>

<p>Crayfish can be frustratingly hard to sex for someone new to keeping them, but the easiest way is to look at the swimmerets. The males will have swimmerets that extend past the back legs, while the females won’t have any past the back legs. Also, female Red Lobsters are often more subdued in color and have much smaller claws than their male counterparts.</p>

<p>Most species of crayfish will breed at any time in the home aquarium, though feeding high-quality foods and keeping the water pristine will help trigger breeding behavior. Like all crayfish, The Red Lobster is relatively easy to breed in captivity. When mating begins, the male deposits a sack of sperm on the female who then passes her eggs through the sperm to fertilize them. After the eggs have been fertilized, they are then kept under the tail by the female who should be placed in a tank on her own at this point.</p> <p>After around four weeks, the eggs will hatch and the young crayfish will emerge. The female crayfish will take care of the young for a short period of time but should be removed after a few days to prevent the fry from being eaten. A large nursery tank is required if any number of crayfish fry are expected to survive as they are extremely cannibalistic like their parents.</p> <p>The baby crayfish can be feed blanched cabbage leaves or lettuce leaves, and also consume detritus in the tank. The young can be fed flake or pellet foods as well. As the crayfish grow, the larger ones should be removed from the tank as they will feed voraciously on the smaller crayfish.</p>

<p>The Red Lobster is a great crayfish species native to the rivers and streams of North America.</p>

<p>Avoid any food product, medication, or plant fertilizer that contains Copper of any form. Copper is toxic to invertebrates. Many commercial fish foods, medications, and plant fertilizers contain copper or more commonly copper sulfate. Always look at the ingredient list for any product going into the aquarium to ensure they are copper free.</p> <p>Never feed your crayfish live or uncooked shrimp. Shrimp carry diseases that can be fatal to crays.</p>

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