Ok guys brace yourselves for another paranoid onslaught! Idi Amin the psychotic blue cray (formally known as a series of alias's) has been off his food over the last week. Previously he went on the " destroy Kirstin's plants and drop a dress size by Xmas" diet and shed his shell (about a month ago).

Today I found his shell in the tank and bugger me if he isn't much larger than last week. However its pretty soon since the last moult and he is a really odd pinky color with no sign of blue at all. He isn't coming out of his mopani wood cave and hasn't been swining off the plants giving me menacing looks as usual.

I introduced coral gravel and snail shell hardener to the water a fortnight ago. The ph is 6.8 and steady the nitrate level is ummmm well zero...(yeh yeh I know but it really is) and the KH is 3, GH isless than 3. He lives alone in a 100lt tank that is well planted, has a filter an airstone, a good heater and lighting. He has blood worms on Monday, Flake food tuesday, peas,crab pellets and fresh meat. He is a spoilt and ungrateful crusty git.

I did a big water change three days ago because he wasn't eating and the blood worms looked feral. The water has been maturing for over 1.5 months now so basicaly I did a 50% change.

Hmmmmm. What is wrong with this picture peoples?

Oops! Ok so I should have googled! Poor Idi his keeper is a cretin! Also noted I'm over feeding him.

http://www.amonline.net.au/factSheets/crayfish.htm

Remember we mentioned the idea of giving him snailstrong a while ago? He could probably do with it to help make new shell, is he hiding bcos has just moulted?

Yeah, you might have overdone the meat component of the diet a little, sound like his growth forced the slough, but he hadnt accrued enough calcites for the skin to form proper thickness and integrity. I used to get the same probs with cameroon shrimp, which frankly are a complete sod to feed properly in community. Id be tempted to put a weight on a small chunk of cuttlebone, and see if he'll take extra to catchup a bit of calcium. Concentrate more on the veg, avoiding veg high in oxylates, and use more of the crab pellets. See if you can track down some spiriluna sheets that they use with marine fish, he'll probably appreciate those.

Have been twice weekly scooshing with snail strong Mistress Cathie to great success. I have also realised I've been really over feeding him and have cut back to three times a week. Mostly he gets crab pellets and meat once a week. All is well in the world. xxxxxxxxxxx

You'll have to post a pic when he emerges in full glory!

Yes belligerent and destructive as usual. I think he tells me to bugger off in semaphore you know!x

Is cuttle bone the same as cuttle fish?

Yup, and while I wouldnt wish a wonderful creature like a cuttlefish to die for a pet, I think they tend to be bycatch anyway. Its not like budgie keepers are gonna ease off on our account anyway.

I was intending to whip accross the road and pick one off the beach... a proper dead one!!!! GLOAT