# Dwarf mexican orange crayfish...



## Angels

So I just got a male and female pair of DMOCs.....Whats it gonna take to get them ready for breeding? I was thinking of feeding them shrimp pellets,flake food....What else? What is the best way to induce breeding on these guys? I think that when I breed them they will go in my 20g bare breeding tank...Yes? No? Should I keep male and female seperated? Any tips will be great!!!


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## Ponera

In my experience, they eat all plant matter they can get. Attach a weight to a 1/2 slice of cucumber and they will probably finish it overnight between the two of them. Mine used to constantly eat every plant in my tank (-_-) til I put in cucumber, then they ate that AND the plant. They ate everything from algae to moss on my log to hornwort to cucumber. I really suggest giving them variety of vegetable matter. Cucumbers, Tomato, even a carrot was processed by my crayfish. They are eating machines, they don't stop for anyone! Make sure you offer them several options.

I am not sure of the protein needs of these animals, though mine did very well until one fateful shed when the newts tore it apart.  RIP CARLOS (made a good newt meal though)

Anyways, variety may be the key. I would google their proper diet and synthesize from several sources. Food is _exceptionally_ important, they need to be in prime health to produce the best offspring, or even mate at all in some cases. 

Make sure the temperature is right. Some crustaceans brood their eggs on their uropods, I am not sure about this species. They may lay them and forget about them, some eggs can be moved but most seem to do better when left alone as the parents tend to know the best spot. If you intend to breed, it could be better if you just put the two of them in your separate tank now and give them some gravel, heat and plenty of food. Google is your friend here. Check multiple sources and try to hit the common ground with them. 

Good luck!


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## grogan

I have heard mixed things about these crayfish. I have them in a breeder container in my planted tank at work because the plant colors make them 'POP!' I assumed they were like any cray fish and were death to a planted tank, thus the breeder (with a rubber band around it). I did some quick research about them the other day and found that my suspicions could be wrong. I read that many people are using them in planted tanks and they are great scavengers. As long as their food needs are meet they will leave the plants alone. Of course I have seen first hand what a cray fish can do to a planted tanks so until I test this I wont give it the complete go ahead. Hmm come to think of it I have had a piece of horn wort in there for 2 weeks and they have not touched it...Hmm ill experiment with them more.


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## Angels

Thanks for the info guys I will go and buy some cucumbers tomorrow Should I boil the carrots and cucumber? I will be putting them into a 20g breeding tank soon, need to fill it them get it ready for being a breeding/grow out tank


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## mpfsr

I have 4 of these in a 20 g long tank planted with just Xmas moss and java fern. They have yet to touch any of my plants. I feed mine carnivore sinking wafers and they love them. I have even seen them steal the wafers right away from the shrimps in the tank. they also like to eat the molted shrimp skins. When I got mine about 2 months ago (1/2") and they have all molted 2 times in that time and are now just over an inch long. They love to climb my Xmas moss clump picking little things from it to eat..but never the plant. They are omnivores from what I read but would like more meats in there diet.
heres a link with some good info..
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/foru...PO-Cambarellus-patzcuarensis-quot-Orange-quot


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## Angels

Thanks!! Yes I heard that too....My male is nice but the female is mean:-/ He hides, she does too but I have one tetra that likes to come and mess with her:-(


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