Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)
Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)

Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae)

Regular price$ 64.99
/
Choose a Variant:
  • 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): FloridaTexas, 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.

* For the safety of our animals, we now ship Cherax crayfish exclusively via UPS Next Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS Next Day Air as a shipping option during checkout *



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!




The Imperial Purple Crayfish (Cherax alyciae, formerly Cherax peknyi) is a never before seen color morph of the Cherax alyciae species. It is one of the largest freshwater crayfish available and features absolutely stunning colors. This crayfish offers an intense purple to reddish coloration across its body.  The Imperial Purple Crayfish will breed in the aquarium, although the fry are extremely slow growing and can be cannibalistic. In fact, many of our specimens have bred in our tanks at our facility! 
 
This particular crayfish is relatively active and spends plenty of time exploring the floor of the aquarium in search of food. The Imperial Purple Crayfish is an omnivorous scavenger and will eat most any meaty or plant-based foods. This crayfish may eat ornamental live plants, although some aquarists report Cherax crayfish species to be much less destructive to plants than most other large crayfish. It is a skilled climber, so extra care must be taken to ensure that it does not escape its enclosure.
 
As it reaches adulthood, the Imperial Purple Crayfish can become relatively territorial, so it may behave aggressively towards other animals in the tank. It is important that ample hiding places such as rockwork, driftwood, or PVC pipes be provided. This is even more crucial when housing multiple crayfish in the same tank. Due to the size and waste production of this crayfish, a minimum 30-gallon, well-filtered aquarium is necessary for one adult. A larger aquarium of 55 gallons or larger aquarium can house multiple adults of similar size. This is a reasonably hardy animal, but regular water changes are vital to its optimal health. Other bottom-dwelling invertebrates and fish should not be kept with large crayfish. It is possible to keep mid- and upper-level, fast-swimming fish with the Imperial Purple Crayfish, but crayfish are opportunistic feeders and will generally eat whatever they can catch. 
 

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)
 
What We Like About This Crayfish:
  • Very rare and exceptional species
  • Consistently excellent purple and blue coloration
  • Less aggressive than many other crayfish
  • Easy to feed
  • Excellent scavenger    

 
RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS:
  • Temperature: 68° - 80° F (20° - 26.7° C)
  • pH: 6.5 - 7.5
  • KH: 6 - 15 dKH
  • Minimum tank size: 30 gallons

 
CARE GUIDELINES: 
  • 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.
  • 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.
 
All Aquatic Arts brand plants and animals come with a 100% live arrival guarantee, plus free email support!

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.

--------------

- 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.

--------------

 

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.

 --------------

 

 --------------

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.

 --------------

- 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

UPS 1 Day: Monday through Thursday
UPS 2 Day: Monday through Wednesday
USPS Priority 2-3 Day Mail: Monday through Saturday
We can not ship UPS shipments to arrive on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays at this time. UPS does not delivery to 90% of the country on weekends.
Tracking Numbers are sent to the customer via email once an order is being prepared for shipment.

--------------

- Shipping Options & Handling Options
UPS 2 Day (2-day transit time once shipped)
     - Our 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.
 
UPS 1 Day (Delivery within 18 hours of being packed) 
     - 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.

USPS 2-3 Day Mail (Only available for Dry Goods)
     - Handling time 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.
--------------
- Signatures are not required for any package (this includes both UPS and USPS shipments) but we highly encourage customers to be present to receive the package upon delivery if at all possible for the safety of our animals and plants.

--------------

- Payment is immediately processed upon placing an order 
Because we are dealing with live products payments are processed before an order ships in order to reserve the live products. At Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We also must check the weather for the delivery area before scheduling a shipment. This is why we state on our website, at checkout, and on our order confirmation email that the processing time is 1-9 business days.

--------------

- 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". 

--------------

- 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).

--------------

Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico Customers
Shipping to Hawaii and Puerto Rico is not available due to severe governmental restrictions as well as a significant likelihood of delay. 
Shipping to Alaska is by UPS Next Day Air only. If you are ordering only plants or non-live products, please email us and we will make a custom invoice for you with either USPS or UPS Shipping. During the winter months we may have to cancel an order going to Alaska if it contains live animals as the weather can be too unpredictable and most shipments take longer than one day even with UPS next day air shipping. Before placing an order to Alaska during the winter please contact us at info@AquaticArts.com to see if we will be able to ship to your area or not.
--------------

- 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.

--------------

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. 

--------------

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.