Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
- Low stock - 4 items left
- Inventory on the way
Due to state restrictions on invasive species, we are not able to ship or sell any color morph of the Cherax sp. crayfish to the following state(s): Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin.
This species is prohibited to own in the above state(s), meaning it is illegal to possess them live in these state(s). This includes possession for consumption, education, aquarium trade, or any other live trade.
The range of color intensity extends from a deep purple hue to shades of purple with red undertones Some may have greenish blue sections on their bodies as the coloration varies greatly with this species.
We have incredible specimens of this brand new, extremely rare Indonesian crayfish!
As with all of our crayfish, the coloration of the Imperial Purple Crayfish is EXTREMELY high quality - much higher quality than others on the market! This crayfish may TEMPORARILY change color and hide more than usual after molting, which may occur during shipping. If your crayfish has faded color and you find a molt in the bag or in your aquarium, do not worry; this is normal and the bright color will return in 2 weeks or less.
*IMPORTANT* Please "Choose a Variant" above before adding this crayfish to your cart. The variants we're currently offering are:
- 1 Male Crayfish - 3+ inch Adult (Adult male)
- 1 Female Crayfish – 3+ inch Adult (Adult female)
- 1 Male/Female Crayfish Pair – 3+ inch Adults (Adult male and female)
- 1 B-Grade Crayfish - 3+ inch Adult (All of our “B-Grade” crayfish are simply specimens that are missing legs or claws. Loss of appendages is not permanent and happens commonly with crustaceans. They are completely healthy with excellent coloration and will completely regenerate lost appendages within 1 to 2 molts, which will take 2-3 months or less)
- 1 Juvenile - 3/4 inches+ (Please note: some may be missing a claw, but these will grow back quickly after a few molt cycles. Crayfish will go through molt cycles more often at a young age)
- Very rare and exceptional species
- Consistently excellent purple and blue coloration
- Less aggressive than many other crayfish
- Easy to feed
- Excellent scavenger
- Temperature: 68° - 80° F (20° - 26.7° C)
- pH: 6.5 - 7.5
- KH: 6 - 15 dKH
- Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
- Diet: Crayfish are typically very easy to feed since they are mostly omnivorous scavengers. However, Cherax species can sometimes be a bit finicky (this is not likely with tank-bred specimens). In addition to various plant matter, we have been feeding all of our Cherax crayfish frozen peas and carrots as well as frozen shrimp that is chopped into manageable pieces after thawing. We highly recommend that our customers at least initially offer this diet to their Cherax crayfish. In time, it is very likely that the crayfish will also accept high-quality dry foods, though a varied diet is required for optimal health, coloration, and activity.
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Social behavior: Can be aggressive/territorial with other crayfish, but is much less so than Procambarus species (such as the Electric Blue Crayfish).
- Origin: Papua New Guinea
- Average adult size: 5 - 6 inches (12.7 - 15.2 cm)
- Average purchase size: 3+ inches (7.6+ cm)
- Recommended Aquatic Arts tankmates: Fast-moving fish (such as Celestial Pearl Danios, Rasboras, Guppies, etc.). While dwarf shrimp can be kept successfully with these crayfish, caution should be exercised, as the crayfish have been known to catch and eat slow, sick, or particularly small shrimp. Cichlids can be aggressive toward crayfish and should not be kept in the same tank. Bottom-dwelling tankmates should also be avoided.
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We ship all of our packages out of our warehouse located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
UPS 2 Day is a premium service that has two day delivery to nearly every address in the United States.
UPS 1 Day is an overnight service to all continental addresses. We have been able to negotiate excellent rates with UPS, and our longtime customers will notice a 25%-60% savings when compared to our previous overnight shipping service.
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- Dry Goods Only Shipping
Dry goods will ship for FREE if you spend $50. There will be an $8 shipping fee for dry goods for any amount less than a subtotal of $50 on dry good only orders.
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- Shipping Details
UPS 2 Day and UPS 1 Day is a description of the shipping time and service. Please refer below for up to date handling times. Using UPS 2 Day and 1 Day does not guarantee the package will be shipped on the second or next day from which the order was placed.
All of our packages are shipped via UPS 2 Day or 1 Day if animals are included in the order. USPS is an option for dry goods and plants only.
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- Shipping Rates
Shipping rates will vary based on shipping service, how far the package has to travel from our location in Indiana, and how big the package is. We currently offer three shipping price rate tiers for small, medium, and XL size packages. All rates are calculated automatically at checkout.
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- Extreme Cold Shipping Advisory
Winter temperatures are here and parts of the country may be too cold for us to safely ship using UPS 2 Day Shipping services. If the overnight lows in your location or here in Indianapolis, IN where we are located are too cold, we will suspend shipping as needed for the safety of our animals and your investment. (we reserve the right to hold an order in extreme weather if we deem it is unsuitable to ship for the safety of the animals) You may always contact our Customer Service team via email at info@AquaticArts.com with any questions or concerns.
Delays in shipping may occur when temperatures in shipping destinations or here in Indianapolis, Indiana where we are located reach 90 degrees or more, overnight lows are 30 degrees or below, or when postal holidays occur for both UPS and USPS shipments. The temperature cut offs for UPS 1 Day are above 110 degrees or overnight temperatures are below 20 degrees. We will send you an email when we print your shipping label, and that will be the day we ship your order out. This email will include your tracking number as well. Your package should take 2 days to arrive after that if you chose UPS 2 Day or if you chose UPS 1 Day your order would arrive the next day after shipment. If your order contains only plants or dry goods then your order may ship with USPS if that is the shipping option you chose at check
- Our Normal Shipping Schedule by Carrier
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- Current handling time is 1-9 business days
- Pricing is by size of package needed to fill order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
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- PO Boxes We do not ship Live Animals to PO Boxes. If you enter a PO Box address during checkout, you will receive a message that says: "There are no shipping methods available for your cart or destination".
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- Handling Time
Our current handling time is 1-9 business days, although they can occasionally be longer. If you order with UPS 1 Day (which is STRONGLY recommended during the winter as well as summer), your package will almost certainly ship within 1-9 business days. The only exception would be if temperatures are too extreme to safely ship the animals out. The handling time for a UPS 2 Day order is variable based on outside temperatures, postal holidays, and the size of the order. During the summer and winter, UPS 2 Day orders as well as USPS orders may have significant delays (up to 60 days in severe cases) before we can ship them to you due to extreme temperatures. (we reserve the right to hold an order in extreme weather if we deem it is unsuitable to ship for the safety of the animals).
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- Final Note
Orders are shipped in our choice of boxes in order to custom fit each order so shipping rates can very pending on what exactly is ordered. UPS rates are based on size of package needed to ship an order, distance the package must travel, total weight of the package and which UPS shipping service is being used. We will also include heat packs or cooling packs with orders when temperatures warrant a heat pack or cooling pack to be included at no cost to you.
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In the event of any problems with your shipment, please CONTACT US via email at info@AquaticArts.com - We will be happy to help!
All orders come with our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee at no charge. You can read more about that HERE, on our Live Arrival Guarantee page.
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