# So how many types of crayfish are self cloning?



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

So how many types of crayfish are self cloning? I did a google search not much info only on the marble crayfish.

I ask because this one is. Ignore the spoon lol









I had it for a while now it's been alone ( only crayfish in the tank ) and now it has a full tail of babies. It didn't have eggs when I brought it home and it's been moved a few times since. I thought I was dead until right now when I see it crawl out. I did see it for about two weeks.


----------



## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

Maybe they can store sperm for a bit and was fertilized when you got it? How long ago from when you got it till now?


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

I had her since the 8/2/2012




Edit-
Found out about sperm packet storage

Now I have to try and raise them


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Some pics of a few babies. For some reason only a few are red. The rest are mixed colours. I grew these out in a 2.5 gal. 
They went into a 20gal today. I have a few that are half the size of their mom already. They grow so fast.


----------



## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

If this crayfish is more than 3 inchs then I think it might be an alleni which comes in orange, blue, white colors. Its possible that she has kept the sperm package until now and feels comfortable enough to produce the babies.

If she was impregnated by more than one other male, in a community enviroment (how LFS keep these crays when they are selling them ) she might have been hit with 2 different colored males, therefore the babies would pick up the color of the males....looks like you have some blues there in the babies.

She doesn't look like any Marble cray I have seen, more like the orange/red Procambarus Alleni crays, which can reach 5 inch. Nice looking gal though


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

I've been told P. Clarkii

I really don't know but from the looks of it I think that's correct. 

I have some blue, white, red, and orange babies. I even have a few blacker ones. 
I'm not sure these colours will stay as the grow.


----------



## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

Both Clarki and Alleni are the bigger of the crayfish that usually sells in LFS, they are very similar however the way to tell for sure is this.

Clarkii have a closed areola (that's the two side parts that meet on the top behind the head) and they have a thorny type claw with hooks on them.

Alleni have an open areola and no thorns on the claws.

Looks like yours is a Procambarus Clarkii from what I can see of the claws and shot of the head area.


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Thanks for all the info 

This is the first time I ever tried raising baby crayfish. They're actually very fun to watch and can do some pretty amazing things. 
Their growth rate is also pretty surprising.


----------



## bettaforu (Sep 6, 2009)

Hahaha...this is only the start of your adventures with crays 

These particular crays grow very fast, and once they get up a bit they will start killing off one another and eating them  You can only keep 1 of these crays per 10 gallon tank safely. If you dare to put 2 in the same tank unless its a huge tank with lots of hidey holes/driftwood/rocks they can hide underneath in you will end up with only 1 remaining cray.

They fight constantly and will kill any fish that gets near enough for them to grab, sleeping fish on the bottom are a real target, they don't see or hear the cray coming in the dark.

Now what you have to do is find lots of small containers that will hold 1 of these babies as a grow out tank until they are big enough to sell to the local LFS or on line.

I had two blue females both berried at the same time and both dropped me 100+ babies  I had 4 or 5 tanks going with at least 20 odd babies in each of them, and was forever picking out dead carcasses. Eventually I sold all of them to pet stores and at auctions and since have stayed away from these big ones.

I love the look of the blues and whites (my favorite ones I had) but would not keep them again. I prefer the CPOs now but even they have to be kept segregated or they will kill one another. 

I have lost my male CPO now and only have the female and Im not sure if she dropped her babies in my shrimp tank while I was away on vacation.....don't see them yet, but that doesn't mean they are not in there, just hiding till they are a bit bigger before venturing out....they know Mamma is still hunting and they could be breaky


----------



## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

you could get/make a hanging corral for inside the tank and have it divided into many


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Riceburner said:


> you could get/make a hanging corral for inside the tank and have it divided into many


They all get along I have most in a 20 gal with some much wood its hard to see anything.

Here's the biggest mutant baby just about 3" long. The rest are about 1.5" and a few 2" max








Clip to compare size


----------



## Jaysan (Dec 19, 2011)

damn these grow fast.
My self cloning one just got berried recently so I'm waiting to see how many babies I have.

Going to have to setup a 30gal with lots of pvc pipes for them to hide, lol


----------



## Symplicity (Oct 14, 2011)

I wanna get a CPO but dont have the tanks


----------



## Jaysan (Dec 19, 2011)

Symplicity said:


> I wanna get a CPO but dont have the tanks


my cpo will have its babies soon....
I'm not sure how long they hold onto the eggs for, but it has probably had it for about 2-3 weeks now. 
you can most likely get one in your 25 gal shrimp tank 
Lemme know if you will be interested


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Jaysan said:


> damn these grow fast.
> My self cloning one just got berried recently so I'm waiting to see how many babies I have.
> 
> Going to have to setup a 30gal with lots of pvc pipes for them to hide, lol


They do just over a month and they're big.
I'm not sure how fast the self cloning ones grow.


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Jaysan said:


> my cpo will have its babies soon....
> I'm not sure how long they hold onto the eggs for, but it has probably had it for about 2-3 weeks now.
> you can most likely get one in your 25 gal shrimp tank
> Lemme know if you will be interested


Have they started to develop?

Lmk when they're ready I'll take some for sure.


----------



## Jaysan (Dec 19, 2011)

Jackson said:


> Have they started to develop?
> 
> Lmk when they're ready I'll take some for sure.


I looked at the eggs, I dont see eyes yet, so I am gonna guess another 1-2 weeks until they are released. After that, If you want them at that stage, I'll sell them, but I'll probably keep them until their 1" or so? to let the weak ones die off and than sell the stronger ones.
I dont wanna sell the weak ones and have them die


----------

