Crayfish eggs

Question
QUESTION: Hi there,
We received a crayfish from my daughter's teacher. About 2 weeks ago, it laid a bunch of eggs. We figured she would need more space so we moved her to a 10 gallon aquarium. It seems like she is losing a few eggs every day. I see her fanning them out, but she only has about 1/2 of what she started with. Is this normal?

Thank you, in advance!

ANSWER: Angie,
Is there a male in the tank with her? The male will deposit a "sperm packet" on the stomach of the female who then releases her eggs through the sperm for fertilize them. She then carries the eggs under her tail until it is time to release them and hatch. If she just laid eggs without a male, then there will not be any fry (babies). If there is a male in the tank with her, please let me know so that I can help you better. If there is no male, the eggs are not viable and will not have fry.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jaymie, thank you so much for getting back to me. She used to be in a tank with other crayfish, but that was about 7 weeks ago. I thought I read that crayfish can hold the sperm for up to 6 months. Maybe I read that wrong. Oh, my daughter will be so disappointed. Thank you, again!!

Answer
Angie,
You are right, she can hold on to the sperm. My main concern was that she was not carrying the eggs. The female attach the eggs to her tail and will not release them until they hatch. If the eggs are on the bottom of the tank, chances are they will not hatch. If they are at the bottom of the tank you can try getting a breeding net. Get the one that is a net, not the plastic ones. Place the eggs in the breeding net, which attaches to the inside of the tank, and also put an air stone either to the side of the net or under it. This will help oxygenate the eggs to prevent fungus. If you are lucky, you will see baby crayfish in about 3 weeks. I hope that I have not misunderstood, but if I did, please tell me again so that I can be sure I give you the right information.