Family: Cambaridae
Distribution: Procambarus toltecae is a Central American crayfish with its origins in Mexico.
PH: 7.5 – 8.5
Temperature: 10 – 22°C (50 – 72°F)
Hardness: 9 – 13 dGH
Description: Procambarus toltecae will grow a maximum length of 8 cm. It is one of the more colourful species of crayfish – naturally colourful, not selectively bred – and can be a mix of brown, red and orange.
Diet: This species is omnivorous but is not a huge eater. You should avoid overfeeding it to maintain its health; as a scavenger, this species is used to going long periods without eating. Feed it typical crayfish foods: pellets, flake, vegetables, etc. It might cause some damage to your plants, but nothing too serious.
Breeding: Procambarus toltecae has a fairly standard breeding procedure. The females will carry around about 50 eggs for around four weeks, at which time they will hatch into 4 mm crayfish. These youngsters will be a brown-orange colour; they will become more vibrant as they get older. No special water conditions are required to facilitate breeding.
Comments: It is advised you keep one pair of Procambarus toltecae in a 60 x 30 cm tank. This species is not quite as tolerant of bad water conditions, so be careful to change your water every so often and be wary of excessive pH and temperature levels. This is a very rare species of crayfish.
Article/Books:
Recommended Compatible Species: Procambarus spiculifer is a reasonably mild species, and, while there is not much information available on compatible tank mates, it could most likely be housed with fish and shrimps alike. Procambarus toltecae will struggle in an inter-species battle, so avoid housing it with stronger specimens. Given its beautiful colouration, it could well be housed in a one-species tank.
Originally posted 2010-01-25 13:05:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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