Electric blue crayfish

Care at a glance

The electric blue crayfish comes from swamps and ditches in Florida; the vivid blue animals in the trade are a selectively bred colour form of that wild crayfish, which is naturally also brown or greenish. It is large, strong and rearranges the tank to suit itself.

It digs, cuts through plants and takes shrimp, snails and slow fish, so in practice you keep it alone. Provide a well-sealed tank with plenty of caves, because crayfish climb out along hoses, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know

• Territorial
• Preys on shrimp and snails
• Eats or uproots live plants
• Digger — needs fine sand

Best not combined with

• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• Cherry shrimpNeocaridina davidi
• Amano shrimpCaridina multidentata
• Nerite snail (zebra)Neritina sp.
• Racing nerite snailVittina turrita
• Olive nerite snailNeritina reclivata
• Horned nerite snailClithon corona
• Spixi snail (zebra apple snail)Asolene spixi

Related species

• Marbled crayfishProcambarus virginalis
• Thai micro crabLimnopilos naiyanetri
• Asian gold clamCorbicula fluminea
• Black devil snailFaunus ater
• Horned nerite snailClithon corona
• Japanese trapdoor snailViviparus malleatus