Papua red clav crayfish (Cherax sp. papua red claw) - Tropical Fish for Sale UK

Claws first: that is how the Papua red claw crayfish introduces itself. This Cherax sp. from the Papua region carries strikingly red claws on a compact body of around 5cm, making it one of the more displayable crayfish on our list without demanding a giant aquarium. Temperament lands at semi-aggressive — bolder than any shrimp, more measured than the most belligerent crayfish — but the safest stocking plan remains a tank of its own, where those signal-red claws can be admired in peace.

Keep it warmer than many of its relatives: 22–28°C is the band, alongside pH 6.5–8.0 and hardness of 5–15 dGH. Allow 100 litres of floor-led space and build the layout heavily — a strongly structured tank gives this crayfish territory to claim and keeps confrontation to a minimum. As an omnivore it forages across the bottom and accepts a broad menu. Should you attempt tankmates, the conditions are strict: very robust, fast fish in a large, heavily structured tank, with the risk understood and accepted as yours. Small fish, shrimp, slow or long-finned fish, bottom-dwellers, other crayfish and crabs are ruled out entirely.

Semi-aggressive is the operative word: assertive about territory rather than relentlessly hostile, which is exactly why the structured layout matters. Give the crayfish sight breaks and ownable caves and its boldness reads as character; deny them and it reads as conflict. The 22–28°C requirement also puts a heater on the kit list for most UK rooms — this is a genuinely tropical invertebrate, and around breeding time its territorial instinct strengthens further. A five-year lifespan means today’s stocking decisions shape the tank for years.

Papua red claw crayfish requirements

• Temperature: 22–28°C — keep it tropical
• pH 6.5–8.0; hardness 5–15 dGH
• Aquarium: 100 litres with dense structure
• Adult size: ~5cm; lifespan around 5 years
• Semi-aggressive omnivore, bottom-dwelling
• Never with shrimp, crabs or fellow crayfish

Buying notes

Decide early whether yours will be a species tank or a calculated-risk community, and stock accordingly from day one — retrofitting rarely ends well for the smaller residents. For keepers new to crayfish, the compact size and clear rules here make a sensible starting point. We send every Cherax sp. papua red claw by licensed live-animal courier across the UK, protected by our live arrival guarantee.