Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)
Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)

Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher)

Regular price$ 69.99
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Choose a Variant:
  • Low stock - 2 items left
  • Backordered, shipping soon

This very rare species is widely regarded as the world's most beautiful crayfish, and this is its natural, wild coloration!

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): California, 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 Thunderbolt Crayfish (Cherax pulcher) is a newly discovered and extremely rare species of crayfish native to the Hoa Creek of  Western Papua New Guinea. This crayfish is also commonly known as the Pink Coral Freshwater Lobster, though true lobsters do not exist in freshwater. The Thunderbolt Crayfish will breed in the aquarium with proper care, although the fry are extremely slow growing, especially compared to the many more common US crayfish species that are popular in the aquarium hobby. 

As it reaches adulthood, the Thunderbolt Crayfish will 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 gallon 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 this crayfish, but crayfish are opportunistic feeders and will generally eat whatever they can catch. It is a skilled climber, so extra care must be taken to ensure that it does not escape its enclosure.

 

*IMPORTANT* Please "Choose a Variant" above before adding this crayfish to your cart:

  • 1 Male Crayfish - 2+ inch Adult
  • 1 Female Crayfish – 2+ inch Adult
  • 1 Male/Female Crayfish Pair – 2+ inch Adults
  • 1 B-Grade Crayfish - 2+ 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 is typically about 2 to 3 months.)

 

What We Like About This Crayfish:

  • Stunning blue, pink, and purple coloration
  • Less aggressive than many other crayfish
  • Easy to feed
  • Excellent scavenger

 

RECOMMENDED TANK PARAMETERS:

  • Temperature: 65°- 78° F (18° - 25° 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. 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. This species does best with a diet that is mostly vegetable matter.
  • Social behavior: Can be aggressive/territorial with other crayfish, but is much less so than Procambarus species (such as the Electric Blue Crayfish).  Crayfish will typically eat whatever they can catch, but since they are slow-moving, they are not often able to harm fast-moving fish
  • Origin: West Papua New Guinea
  • Average adult size: 5 - 6 inches (12.7 - 15.2 cm)
  • Average purchase size: Adults: 2+ inches (5cm),
  • 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 definitely be avoided.

 

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


For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air.  If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with  2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air. 

UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.

Shipping Schedule for this service

UPS 1 Day: Monday through Thursday
 

Current Handling Time:

1-9 business days

Here 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 check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days. 

Shipping Rate

Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.

 

 

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