Crawdad Kit Instructions

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Congratulations, you are about to learn all about Crawdads. They are fascinating and entertaining pets that are relatively low maintenance. Crawdads live for 6 months to several years in the Habitat.

Initially You will need to Provide 
* Container to measure 1/2 gallon of water - a 2 liter soda bottle works well 
 
In Several Months you will need to Provide 
* More Crawdad food 
* Additional Water Treatment Solution 
* Another live plant if yours is completely eaten 

Urgent -Set up the Habitat immediately 
Your Crawdad needs to be in his Habitat as soon as possible.  You need to set up the Habitat immediately when the kit arrives.  It will take 2 hours after treating the water for it to be ready for the Crawdad.   Important:  Keep your Habitat at room temperature (60° to 78°F) and out of direct sunlight.  Do not shake or tap on the Habitat, as this is stressful for the Crawdad. 
 
Setting Up The Habitat 
Water is of ultimate importance to a Crawdad. Crawdads have gills and breathe by taking oxygen out of water like a fish.  However, before you can put your Crawdad in water you need to remove any harmful chemicals from the water.  Measure 1/2 gallon of warm (not hot) tap water and pour it into the Habitat. Add the Water Treatment solution (follow the instructions on the bottle) to remove any chemicals and let this water sit for 2 hours.  This will give it time for the water treatment to work and also for the water to become room temperature. Then you can add the plastic plant and the purple Critter Cup.  Important: when you put the Critter Cup in the water be sure to put it on its side so water enters the cup - your Crawdad will like to "hide" in the cup. After the 2 hours, open the Crawdad bag and gently pour the entire contents into the Habitat.  
 
Your Crawdad likes to hide and will spend time in his Critter Cup and plants.  Always keep the lid on your Habitat because Crawdads are surprisingly good climbers and may get out. Crawdads are most active at night – this is called being ‘nocturnal.’ Because they are active at night and can be noisy, you may want to consider keeping the Habitat out of a bedroom unless you are a sound sleeper. 
 
Feeding Your Crawdad 
Crawdads like both plants and protein to eat. We have included some Shrimp Pellets for you because they are a Crawdad favorite. In addition to the Shrimp, they also like live plants and enjoy munching on the leaves. The live plant is very important because it helps add oxygen to the water.  Important: if your plant dies or your Crawdad completely eats it you should get another one for the Habitat.  Some Crawdads only eat at night so you may never see yours eating.  
 
Start by feeding your Crawdad one pellet of food each day.  You can drop the pellets right into the water. You don’t need to place the food near your pets hiding spot as it will smell the food and go out looking for it.  Don't worry if the Crawdad doesn’t eat for a week or more; he will eat when hungry.  As your Crawdad grows you will need to increase the number of food pellets.  Because left over food will decay - and having dirty water will harm the Crawdad - it is important not to overfeed him.  
 
If you run out of food or misplace it, or need another live plant, you can purchase more from us or from the local pet store. 
 
Fun Crawdad Experiments 
Crawdads will eat a wide variety of foods and it can be fun to experiment to see which your pet likes the best. Place some clover stems in with the Crawdad and observe; sometimes a Crawdad will grab a clover stem and feed the stem into its mouth like spaghetti! Also try dry cat food, a bit of hot dog, bacon, a live minnow, or bits of eggshell. 
 
Clean the Habitat at least Once a Week  
Clean water is very important to the Crawdad –most problems Crawdads have are caused by water that is not clean. Once a week, more often if the water looks cloudy, clean the Habitat and change its water.  Important: Before you clean the habitat (or pick up your Crawdad) you must have clean hands with no soap or lotion on them that could get into the Habitat or on your Crawdad.  To do this, first wash your hands and rinse them VERY well.  Once your hands are clean, use the purple Critter Cup to scoop up the Crawdad and a little bit of water from the Habitat.  Place the Cup upright on a flat surface and place a book or other heavy object over the top so the Crawdad can not climb out.  Pour all of the water out of the Habitat and rinse the Habitat and plants in the sink with warm water. Important: Do not use soap or other cleaners in your Habitat.  Now refill the Habitat with 1/2 gallon of warm (not hot) tap water and add the Water Treatment solution. Let this treated water sit for 2 hours just like you did when you initially set up the Habitat.  After 2 hours, you can add the plants back into the Habitat and pour the entire contents of the Critter Cup into the Habitat.  Rinse the Critter Cup and put it back in the Habitat. 
 
More water conditioner is available at pet stores; you can use any water conditioner used to prepare water for fish. 
 
Handling Your Crawdad 
Crawdads are not the kind of pet that you pet, but you can pick him up if you’d like. Adult supervision is required when handling the Crawdad because he can inflict a painful pinch if he feels threatened.  Wash your hands very well before and after handling your Crawdad. Only handle him over soft surfaces or above the Habitat in case he startles you and you drop him. Crawdads are safe to hold as long as they are picked up from behind the head by its shell so that you don’t get pinched. Approach the Crawdad from behind. Grasp it firmly on his shell behind the pincers and pick it up. It may try to reach back, but don't worry- it will not be able to reach you. 
 
What if I can no longer care for my Crawdad? 
Please do not release the Crawdad outside. Your Crawdad may not know how to survive in the wild because it has not learned to hunt on its own.  If it does survive, the Crawdad may endanger local wildlife by out-competing local creatures for the same food sources. Some suggestions: find a friend or neighbor who would like a pet Crawdad, or donate it to a school for a wildlife display, or give it to a local pet shop who can possibly find it a home.   

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