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CrayfishfreshwaterModerate

Orange tip crayfish

A blue-green New Guinea crayfish with bright orange claw tips, described only in 2015 from material already circulating in the aquarium trade. It is smaller and more even-tempered than most Cherax and is still a crayfish.

Quick profile

Scientific name
Cherax snowden
Adult size
8–11 cm (3.1–4.3 in)
Lifespan
3–5 years
Temperature
22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
pH
6.5–7.8
Hardness
6–20 °dGH
Minimum tank
60 L (16 US gal)
Minimum length
60 cm
Swimming zone
Bottom
Social
Loose group — at least 1
Diet
Omnivore
Overall confidence
moderate confidence

What keeping this species involves

Straightforward to keep and to breed, requiring caves, hard enough water for moulting and an acceptance that dwarf shrimp and soft plants are not options.

Clear slow streams over sand and leaf litter in lowland New Guinea, warm and soft.

Identity and names

Common name
Orange tip crayfish
Scientific name
Cherax snowden
Family
Parastacidae
Order
Decapoda
Class
Malacostraca
Also sold as
Cherax snowden, Cherax holthuisi, snowden crayfish, orange tip

Name ambiguity

Described in 2015 from aquarium-trade material and separated from Cherax holthuisi, under which name much of the earlier trade stock was sold. Both names remain in circulation.

Adult size and growth

8–11 cm (3.1–4.3 in)

Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 3–5 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.

Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: depressed — flattened top to bottom with a moderate. Assigned from what is typical of Parastacidae, not examined for this species.

Water and tank requirements

A smaller crayfish holding a smaller territory, and the requirement is still floor area with enough separate shelters rather than water volume.

Temperature (°C)

Orange tip crayfish
22–28

Scale: 0 to 36 °C.

pH (pH)

Orange tip crayfish
6.5–7.8

Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.

Hardness (°dGH)

Orange tip crayfish
6–20

Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.

The bands AquariumHQ publishes for the orange tip crayfish, each drawn against the full range this catalogue uses for that parameter. A narrow band on a wide scale is a specialist; a wide one is a genuinely tolerant animal. Source: AquariumHQ husbandry position for this record — an editorial range, not a measurement

Why these ranges: Warm soft lowland New Guinea streams, with the hardness floor set for moulting rather than from the habitat. A crayfish in very soft water fails at the moult, which is the commonest avoidable death in the group.

Where these figures come from

Habitat class

Lowland floodplain

Seasonally inundated flat country — várzea, chaco, swamp margin — where the water body changes size, depth and chemistry through the year.

The habitat's defining feature is change, so a single band describes it badly. Species from here are generally tolerant of a wide range and intolerant of nothing much — which makes them easy to keep and easy to keep wrongly.

Conductivity
40–300 µS/cm
Flow
still
Dissolved oxygen
low
Seasonality
strong

These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.

TemperatureReasoned on this record
This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
pHReasoned on this record
This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
General hardnessSet by a requirement of the animal
Hardness here is set by moulting rather than by habitat. A crayfish rebuilds its entire exoskeleton several times a year and draws the calcium for it from the water and from its own gastroliths; in soft water the moult is where the animal dies. The band is a provision for that, and it is deliberately firmer than some of these species' recorded habitat.
RequirementValueNotes
Temperature22–28 °C (72–82 °F)Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure.
pH6.5–7.8A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it.
General hardness6–20 °dGHCheck your supplier's published figure before choosing species.
Minimum volume60 L (16 US gal)A floor, not a recommendation.
Minimum footprint60 cm long × 35 cm deepA smaller crayfish holding a smaller territory, and the requirement is still floor area with enough separate shelters rather than water volume.
Water flowmoderateMatch the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating.
Lid requiredRecommendedReduces evaporation and prevents accidents.
StructureMultiple caves and pipes, sand, wood and leaf litter. More shelters than animals is the rule that prevents most of the trouble.

Group size and social behaviour

Among the more tolerant Cherax and still a crayfish: a moulting animal is vulnerable to every other one in the tank until its shell hardens.

Structure
Loose group
Minimum group
1

Behaviour

  • Sorts through leaf litter and substrate continuously with the smaller feeding claws.
  • Displays with both claws raised at a rival and usually backs down without contact where there is room to.

Telling males from females

Males have larger claws and orange claw tips that develop with maturity; the reliable check is the position of the genital openings.

Feeding

Omnivorous and undiscriminating, taking detritus, plant material and any animal it can catch. Calcium supports moulting.

Diet type
Omnivore
Staples
Sinking pellets, Blanched courgette, Indian almond leaves, Frozen bloodworm

Breeding

Strategy
Eggs carried beneath the female's abdomen until the young are fully formed
Difficulty
straightforward
Parental care
carries eggs

Tankmates and compatibility

Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.

Risk this species poses to common tankmates
TowardsRiskWhat it means
Small fishmoderateAnything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size.
Adult dwarf shrimpnear-certainCover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high.
Shrimpletsnear-certainDetermines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist.
SnailshighApplies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not.
Long or trailing finsnoneFin damage is an entry point for secondary infection.
PlantsconsumesTough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers.

Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.

Welfare considerations

Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.

  • Described from trade material rather than from a wild survey, which means comparatively little is documented about its natural population.
  • Escapes over the rim if there is anything to climb. A covered tank and a gap-free rim are both required.

Problems to watch for

Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.

What AquariumHQ does not yet hold

Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.

Where it comes from

Native range
Indonesian Papua — streams of the Bird's Head Peninsula
Habitat
Clear slow streams over sand and leaf litter in lowland New Guinea, warm and soft.

What the checklists say

3 distribution statements retrieved from GBIF checklists. Establishment means is reproduced from the source where it states one, and left unstated where it does not — a record of presence is not a record of origin.

StatusPlacesWhat this means
Introduced1A checklist states the species arrived here with human help. That is not a statement that it is established, harmful or illegal.
Recorded as present, establishment means not stated2The source records the species as present and does not say whether it is native or introduced. AquariumHQ does not fill that in.

No checklist AquariumHQ holds positively calls this species native anywhere, so the native range above rests on AquariumHQ’s own reading of the literature rather than on a cited checklist.

Evidence

Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.

ClaimValueEvidence typeConfidenceSource
scientific nameCherax snowdenObserved / measuredhigh confidenceCatalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility
native rangeIndonesian Papua — streams of the Bird's Head PeninsulaObserved / measuredmoderate confidenceGBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility
adult size8–11 cmAquarium-literature consensusmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
lifespan3–5 yearsAquarium-literature consensusmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
temperature22–28 °CAquarium-literature consensusmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
ph6.5–7.8 pHAquarium-literature consensusmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
general hardness6–20 °dGHAquarium-literature consensusmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
minimum tank volume≥ 60 LAquariumHQ editorial positionmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
minimum tank length≥ 60 cmAquariumHQ editorial positionmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis
minimum group size≥ 1AquariumHQ editorial positionmoderate confidenceAquariumHQ husbandry synthesis

Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.

Why we say this

What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.

Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.

scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-29. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. 3 distribution statements held from GBIF checklists — introduced in 1 country. Establishment means is reproduced from the source, never inferred from occurrence.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

adult sizeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.

What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.

What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.

minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.

What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.

What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.

minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.

What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.

What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.

minimum group sizeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.

No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.

What this kind of claim needs: group size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.

What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.

Guides relevant to this species

Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.