Crawfish

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

The purpose of the paddle wheel is also to move the water and provide current for healthy production. Louisiana is the most successful at crawfish aquaculture so I am going off of their experience. Here is the best info I have found.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/crops_...ion+Manual.htm

[Rick]

Man! What a publication! That's everything you ever wanted to know about the subject. Thanks!!!!!

[bulrush]

well i have heard of folks stocking swimming pools with fish, but i am sure that would violate your limit on fish, probably would be the same with crawfish. the only logistical problem i see with stocking a ditch is population density, how many do you need to eat for a meal and how many can that area of ditch sustain

In my aquariums I raise marbled crayfish. These are all female and all reproduce without males. They all reside on the bottom of the tank (generally) and need no more than 36 square inches each. I have about 8 in my tank with a bottom of about 12 x 24 inches.

Square footage on the bottom is not the deciding factor. The deciding factor is number of hiding places. They need to hide when they molt or the other crayfish will eat them when their shell is soft post-molt.

Since marbled crayfish multiply so fast, they might be an ideal candidate for a TIGHTLY CONTAINED crayfish production facility. For example, a swimming pool with 3 ft high walls (these buggers can climb also but not out of water, they can climb to the top of the water). I get about 30 babies every 30 days per adult crayfish. It takes about 120 days for a baby to mature.

Starting with 1 adult, here's what I would have:
after 30 days: 31 crayfish
After 30+120 days: 1+(30*30) = 901 crayfish

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

In my aquariums I raise marbled crayfish. These are all female and all reproduce without males. They all reside on the bottom of the tank (generally) and need no more than 36 square inches each. I have about 8 in my tank with a bottom of about 12 x 24 inches.

Square footage on the bottom is not the deciding factor. The deciding factor is number of hiding places. They need to hide when they molt or the other crayfish will eat them when their shell is soft post-molt.

Since marbled crayfish multiply so fast, they might be an ideal candidate for a TIGHTLY CONTAINED crayfish production facility. For example, a swimming pool with 3 ft high walls (these buggers can climb also but not out of water, they can climb to the top of the water). I get about 30 babies every 30 days per adult crayfish. It takes about 120 days for a baby to mature.

Starting with 1 adult, here's what I would have:
after 30 days: 31 crayfish
After 30+120 days: 1+(30*30) = 901 crayfish

WOW Bulrush! What is done with all the babies currently and how big are these adults? The Red Crawfish in Louisiana do require males. I am gonna look up these marbled crayfish. I am setting up an aquarium for my daughter. What do you feed them?

[flandersander]

I just whipped up a couple traps this afternoon while I was off work (sick).
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[Rick]

Not bad for a "sick" day. Gotta love those tie wraps!!!!!!

[crashdive123]

Nice work Flanders. Are you going to put in a door to remove the catch, or just cut the tie wraps and remove one end?

[Rick]

Why do I have a vision of the monkey with his hand trapped in the jar?

[Ken]

Why do I have a vision of the monkey with his hand trapped in the jar?

Like this?

[flandersander]

crash- There will be doors about 4-5" both ways. cable ties (tie wraps) on one side for a hinge and twist ties on the other so it can be opened. I just cut out a row of the mesh. It was called hardware mesh, but it can be found by the chicken fencing. I used 1/4 inch mesh, so i'll probably get a bunch of itty bitty craws, but thats alright.

[crashdive123]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm familiar with hardware cloth. Use it all the time for rodent exclusion.

[Rick]

Rodent exclusion? Man! You really are picky about who you let in.

[crashdive123]

Every club has to have its standards.

[Rick]

Their time is coming.......soon!

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[flandersander]

do you guys think the opening of the cone is too close to the bottom of the cage? I mean, so the craws can get out?

[Rick]

They aren't that smart. The only thing that could give you a problem is the diameter of the hole limiting the size of the crawfish that can get in. Try it and see what happens. The worst will be you come up empty.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I don't think they will get out and the hole is plenty large enough. I am also making the same design. Instead of a door, I am gonna make it to where it seperates in 2 halves then just dump the critters out. I let my daughter catch some in my old trap yesterday for her aquarium. We selected an adult male and female. The rest were released. 1 drop of the trap produced more than 10. 1 was too large to go in the 1" hole. We still caught him though as he hung on when the trap was pulled.

[flandersander]

wow. I tried today (no good bait) and came up with nothing. But it was pretty cold and windy, and i only left it for half an hour. I guess i'll keep at it.

[catfish10101]

I just whipped up a couple traps this afternoon while I was off work (sick).
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We make traps like that to catch minnows for fishing. for the door, we take a strip of rubber from an old innertube and tie one end to the trap behind the door, and the other end to a small wire hook then stretch it across the door and hook it to the trap to keep it closed. Makes it easy to open and close. We only put one door in the middle. Just tilt the trap both ways to dump them out.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

wow. I tried today (no good bait) and came up with nothing. But it was pretty cold and windy, and i only left it for half an hour. I guess i'll keep at it.

Any oily fish will work! cut it in 1" steaks 2 or 3 pcs. will do. If they are there at all I guarantee you at least 1 otherwise they are not there! I leave mine 2 to 4 hrs. min. and maybe 6 max. Look for overhangin' roots or any kind of cover to set your trap.