crawfish and bottom dwellers?

[chainsaw]

Will a crawfish bother a pleco? I want both but I don't want to come home one day to find 2 halves of a pleco on the bottom of my tank.

Thanks

 

[rubysoho]

from what I've heard, crawfish need to be in a species only tank because they'll eventually eat everything in the tank, including medium sized fish.

 

[chainsaw]

Yeah thats kinda what I thought, but I figure I'd ask anyway.

 

[rubysoho]

yup, I wanted one as well, but I love my bottom dwellers and don't have room for fish big enough not to be bothered, so I gave up on the idea.

 

[deeni0z]

there are some red cherry shrimp. they're peaceful and they're bright red, brighter than crawfish! they're a cool alternative 'cause they munch on algae and breed readily in tanks.

 

[molotov256]

I've had great luck with my crayfish... with my experience, a crayfish (or crawfish, whatever lol) will only mess with a slow or sick fish that's on its last legs so to speak. I think a crayfish is naturally a scavenger, so it dosen't actively hunt down and kill its food. I have 2 good sized plecos in my 55g (about 3"), and a pretty small crayfish (about 1.5"), and they don't seem to have any interaction at all.

I hate to go against all the more experienced members here, but I'd say go for it. Just keep a close eye on the tank. When I first put mine in, he would only get aggressive with the other fish that were curious and got up in his face checking him out. After an hour or so, everything mellowed down, not that it ever got too rowdy to begin with. If it dosen't work out for you, the crayfish was probably only 99 cents at your LFS, and you could always bring him back...

 

[deeni0z]

If it doesn't work out, crayfish are delicious!

 

[spence0416]

I agree with molotov

I'm assuming you have a common Pleco so....If your crayfish is fed regularly you should be ok. But it still doesn't mean he won't try to attack the Pleco every once in a while. Plecos are probably one of the toughest fish I've ever kept and can take quite a beating. You should have enough time to notice if he in any trouble and seperate them.