# Dwarf orange mexican crayfish breeding



## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

So, two days ago I got another CPO for my 5g betta tank as I really like the way they look, and they really don't seem to cause as much trouble as people say. The only thing they do is threaten the cories a bit but they don't seem to mind. I was completely positive that I had two males as I counted their leggs and males apparently have an extra set to hold females during mating. Anyways, I got home from school today just in time to see my two crayfish doing the dirty deed. I quickly pulled out my phone to take some pictures, and selected the best two to post here. I had tried breeding them before, but the female, alongside all the babies, died. Now I am about to go on my vavation so I'll leave the female in the tank as I'll be gone for about half a month. Anyways heres the pics 
















Anyone have any luck with these guys?


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## TheJakeM (May 11, 2013)

In my experience crayfish need a very large, understocked tank with small, fast fish (cherry barbs are the best I've tried), then I put lots of plants and hideouts on either side of the tank, with a clear space in between. This gives them both their their territories. However, I've never had much success though, a trespassing always ends in a fight. Only meetings in the no mans land are ever peaceful. To give you an idea of what the fights are like, it's a lot of bolting around the tank until lone crayfish is caught by the other. After that happens I've seen crayfish torn in half, legs ripped off and once bashed to death against the gravel. Albeit the crayfish I had were much bigger than yours, and of a wilder variety. Though I've never gotten this far, once the eggs are laid, move them to a separate tank to prevent the parents eating their young. You should update this often with your progress, I'm really interested in seeing how you do.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I had three of these guys in a bowl before. The female ended up "being pregnant" (no clue what you call it with crayfish). I had two males, one ended up getting killed. So then I moved the other male to a seperate tank. The female actually doesn't lay the eggs. She keeps them on her (like shrimp) till the babies hatch. She then keeps the hatched babies on her for a couple of days. I was all the way up to the babies hatching step, and then they just started to dissapear. I assume they swam of her body? But I couldn't see any for a coupe of weeks so I think they just ended up getting eaten by their mom. The mother then died in a bad molt. I will be on vacation for this "pregnancy" so I might not be able to do updates that well. I will try after I come back though.


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