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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 14
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Joined: May 2017
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I am getting some live crawfish that are going to be delivered to me in sacks that are on ice. What is the best way to get the crawfish up to temperature before I dump them around my lake?
Thanks
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 215 Likes: 2
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Joined: Nov 2016
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I just dumped them in. Some were DOA, but the rest scooted off.
The RSC are tough critters.
4 acre pond 32 ft deep within East Texas (Livingston) timber ranch. Filled (to the top of an almost finished dam) by Hurricane Harvey 9/17. Stocked with FHM, CNBG, RES 10/17. Added 35lbs RSC 3/18. 400 N LMB fingerlings 6/18
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086 Likes: 93
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086 Likes: 93 |
This is strictly from a video I once watched. No personal experience at all so use at your own risk.
What they did was open the sacks and place them on the bank right next to the water. As the cradads warmed up in the sun/air and started moving around they crawled down hill into the water.
John
I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,285 Likes: 288
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Joined: Feb 2011
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What John said.
I haven't had any problems temperature wise, but I do seek out areas that have shoreline cover to release them at. Raccoons can do a number on them if they're released on a clean bank.
AL
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,861 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,861 Likes: 298 |
I've also seen videos of people pouring pond water on the sacks of craws to help them acclimate before opening the sack next to shore.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344 Likes: 101
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Joined: Jun 2016
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Disclaimer...I have no experience acclimating "iced" crawdads.
Back in my tropical fish aquarium days when I brought a fish home from the store I would float the bag in the aquarium for 20 minutes, or so, to let the temperature in the bag equalize with the aquarium temperature, then add some aquarium water to the bag to help the water chemistry equalize as well...give it another 20 minutes and then release the fish into the tank.
Since crawdads are not as susceptible to water chemistry as fish, I would think temperature is really the big concern given that the pond water is of decent quality. Your main concern is to NOT change their temperature too fast.
I would remove the ice from the crawdads and allow them to sit indoors for a while (20 -30 minutes) with the bags open. Then move them to the outdoors for a while 20 minutes or so). So long as the critters are moving around fine and moving around more as they warm up...I might even add some pond water to them towards the end, 5 -10 minutes before releasing them in the pond. Just enough to wet them down.
My suggestions are probably overly cautious, but if you have the time, why not spend it with them? I transferred 300 crawdads to my pond last year over many installments from a nearby creek and have not seen but a few since. They are there as there were no predators present...you just don't see them unless you go flipping rocks.
Fish on!, Noel
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
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I bought a bunch of grocery store "live" crawdads about 20 years ago and sat them out next to a small pond to warm up. Then placed them in the small pond. The next morning I looked and the bank was littered with crawfish remains. They had crawled back onto the banks and committed suicide by coon. I called an Arkansas crawfish supplier and asked questions. He said that they were technically alive and suitable for cooking but were pretty much dying.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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