Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Crayfish

Do any biological supply companies still sell Rusty Crayfish, was specifically looking for one in the Northern USA or Canada. Also what is the cold tolerance of the Red Swamp Crayfish like ( I know it is native to the Southern USA but I have heard they have high cold tolerance and can live under Ice?

Why rusty craws ? There are hundreds of types of craws. Local types are best.

There also may be restrictions on the transport of rusty crayfish as they can be a pest where they are not native. I think Bill Cody will know.

Rustys are used here in NE as bait - dealers buy them over our native species. They are not, for some reason, considered invasive here yet. Our waterways are now most likely or soon will be infested with Rustys. From what I've read, they are more aggressive, larger, and have thicker chitin making them less desirable forage AND they outcompete native species and can denude a pond of vegetation. Again, no personal experience, just what I've read several places. They may help achieve some pond management goals, but too risky IMO to mess with them. Go native!

I know of a large lake in Wi that had Rusty's introduced. The weedbeds are gone, and the fishing for species that like to hang out around the weeds is worse. If you look in the shallow water at night, the bottom is literally crawling with them.

This brings up something I was wondering about. If you want to "stock" crayfish in a new pond, where do you get them? Does anyone sell them other than bait shops which, apparently sell the wrong species?

Some hatcheries sell them. TJ, do you ever find them in your traps?

My low tech method involved going to the bait shop and buying 3 doz papershells. You can definitely ID them over Rustys. I stocked them 3 years ago and have a pond full of them now. Cody talks alot about desirable species - some are burrowers, some are invasive and can denude a pond of vegetation, can extirpate native species, etc. I know papershells are in every creek in NE and setting some traps is an easy way to collect. Or, Hartley's in KS does have papershells I believe and they could ship I suppose. I would NOT buy rustys or swamp reds online as they are not native. Most state agencies are totally clueless about invasive crayfish and have no regs established. I think the crawfish boil craze has lead to a lot of the Rustys and Red Swamps being shipped live all over the country. They are preferred table fare as they attain a much larger size than typical crayfish.

Now, if a pond manager faces a pond choked with vegetation I suppose it might be worth trying Rustys as according to Cody they will hammer it hard. Just be aware that any water within a 1/4 mi may now also have Rustys...not sure it's worth that risk?

One rule I keep in mind when stocking crays is this: If you have a creek close to your BOW it's safe to trap crayfish there as they will end up making it to your pond eventually anyhow. Maybe that's overly simple logic, but it does relieve one of the stress of ID as they will be invading soon enough.

When I set my minnow traps and forget to check for a few days the crays come in to eat the dead BG. So, any kind of fish or liver has worked very well for me in the past. I have pulled traps in my main pond with over a dozen crays packed in there cleaning up the dead tadpoles and BG. Amazing little critters.

Can anyone tell me the name of some hatcheries,bait shops, places online ect. that would sell Rusty crayfish, what would the average price be?

Where are you located? USA is kind of a broad location.

I actually have moved from the States to Nova Scotia Canada. Also don't want them for my pond (pretty sure that would be illegal here anyway as we are only allowed to stock things like Speckled and Rainbow Trout and Minnows and they are non-native to boot). I would like them for my indoor aquariums. I have looked around and I can't see that it is illegal to bring them here (can't find them on any of Canadas list of banned and regulated species). So I decided to search around the various internet forums and try and get more info.

If purchased here in the states, I wonder how long it'd take them to get thru customs, and if they'd even survive the wait.....

Definitely something to consider. I have a friend up this way who is a member of our local aquarium society and he has imported fish for years. he can get pretty much anything Snakeheads, Sterlet, mahseers, Wels Catfish ect. He imports from overseas and the states, I figure if it is doable with fish and other creatures it should be doable with Crayfish.I am just wondering where I could get them from. What places/companies sell them?

I don't know. I know the baitshop in the next town sells "softshells" that are actually Rusty's right after they molt. He doesn't have a website.

Would your friend know of a supplier, or a place that you could look?

Hmmm... Sounds like your friend could make a lot of people happy if he has access to interesting fish like that!

He might know, he mainly deals with Fish though. I was hoping to find a place online where I could buy them and that would ship them.