Blue crayfish: content and breeding, photo

In the wild, blue cancers inhabit small shallow water bodies located on the island of Cuba. In the distant 1980 they were brought to the territory of our state. Since that time they have won extraordinary popularity among domestic aquarists. The animals are rather unpretentious and quite suitable for maintenance at home. From this article you will learn about the main features of these arthropods.

Appearance

Blue cancers, whose photos can be seen below, have the typical body shape inherent in all animals of this species. The average length of an adult specimen is from six to twelve centimeters without claws.

Moved Cuban crayfish with the help of four pairs of legs, located in the lower part of the cephalothorax. As organs of touch and smell, they use a rather long mustache. The abdomen of the animal consists of five segments, the last of which gradually transforms into a fan-shaped caudal fin.

From the very name it becomes clear that the Cuban blue crabs have a non-standard color. And their color largely depends on nutrition and conditions of detention. So, you can often see individuals of blue or light yellow hue. The fullness and brightness of the color is manifested after the cancer reaches the age of two.

Characteristics and compatibility with other creatures

Peace-loving blue crayfish in the aquarium perfectly coexist with other inhabitants. It is important that they do not experience hunger. A well-fed arthropod can hardly touch fish or plants.

Most of their lives, these animals are busy searching for food. They can swarm under rocks, leaves and plant roots. Frightened crayfish can develop impressive speed.

In one aquarium it is desirable to contain no more than one male. Otherwise, you will have to regularly observe fairly tough skirmishes, often resulting in serious injuries. It is also undesirable that blue cancers live together with small, slow, bottomy or predatory fish and with water turtles. If necessary, they can be populated to catfish, cichlids, balantheicheylus or barbs.

Conditions of detention

Many people who are directly related to aquarium, are recommended to keep these arthropods in the capital's tanks. But there are also such specialists who are sure that you can limit yourself to smaller volumes. In their opinion, for two adults, fifty liters will be enough.

Because blue crabs do not have a very good habit of running away, it is recommended to cover their aquarium with a lid. The water intended for the maintenance of these animals must be pure and saturated with oxygen. It is desirable that its temperature is within 20-25 degrees. It is important to equip arthropod animals with a good biofilter and aerator. The duration of a day in the summer should be at least ten hours, in winter - at least eight.

At the bottom of the aquarium should be poured sand mixed with limestone or marble chips. If possible, it is necessary to breed hard-leaved plants on which the cancer could hang. For these purposes, a Thai fern or crypticorin Usteri is excellent. As shelters, it is desirable to install snags, stones and other decorations there.

What do aquarium crayfish eat?

These arthropods are unpretentious in everything that concerns food. It is known that Cuban crayfish do not disdain even slightly spoiled products. They are happy to eat live or dry food for bottom fish. Young specimens can be given crushed bloodworm and tubule. Separately, they should grow Javanese moss, dwarf anubias and hornwort.

Adult crayfish should be fed with large bloodworms, earthworms, as well as small pieces of squid, fish or meat. It is important to provide the animal with a full and balanced diet.

How do blue cancers fade?

Where they are found and what these arthropods eat , we have already figured out. Therefore, let us now turn to the no less important question of changing the chitin cover. Moreover, young individuals moult more often adults.

During this period defenseless cancer has to be selected from the cover that has burst across the back. The discarded shell becomes completely transparent. It looks like a kind of cancer with claws and mustaches. During the next three days the arthropod is eaten by its chitinous cover.

The moulting period is considered one of the most dangerous stages in the life of an animal. At this time, its veils do not have enough time to harden to protect it from attack by predators. Therefore, cancer often becomes an easy prey for its enemies. In addition, the arthropod can not grind food, so that he walks hungry.

Experts recommend that during moulting, they should plant cancer in a separate aquarium, in which there is good aeration and numerous shelters.

Blue cancers: breeding

Sexually mature individuals are those who have reached six months of age. They can reproduce throughout the year. For one pair, a twenty-gallon tank is sufficient, filled with water, heated to 25 degrees. In this case, the soil is not needed.

The selected pair is placed in a separate container. The pairing process is rather long. Usually it takes at least one and a half hours. After this, the male is ceded, and the female for three weeks should be carrying under the tail from thirty to three hundred eggs. During this period, she becomes very shy, so it is better not to disturb her. After a period of three weeks from the ripened eggs, the offspring are born. Small crustaceans resemble adults in appearance, they even have transparent armor. After the second moult, they can be deposited from the mother in a separate dwelling. Until this time, the younger generation will be next to the female and in case of a threat to hide under her tail.

The basis of the diet of growing crayfish should be dry rations for fry, cut fillets of blue whiting, small daphnia and cyclops.