Crawfish

[toughguy1]

I currently have 16-17 inches of fish in my 20 gal tank. Therefore, I don't have long until I need to get a bigger tank. My cousin said he would give me a real deal on a 70 gal. Anyhow, I was thinking about getting a crawfish (some people call them freshwater lobsters). Will that be compatible? Will they eat flake off the bottom? Please advise.

Rob

 

[robertmarda]

I used to have some crawfish in my tank. They are fun to have and to watch. To feed them I used to drop sinking shrimp pellets for them. You would probably have to put in a lot of flakes to get some to fall to the ground. I would think your other fish would get most of the flakes as they fall.

The only fish I would be concerned about is the neon tetras. They will be ok if they learn to stay away from the crawfish. I would make sure the crawfish has a few places to hide.

 

[Lance M.]

the crayfish might attack the sharks, since they are all bottom dwellers. And the crayfish could attack the fish while they are sleeping at night.

 

[robertmarda]

Yes, I forgot about that. At the time I had some crawfish in my 55 gallon tank I noticed that my mollies did not rest on the bottom of the tank. Whereas the mollies I had in a 20 gallon tank would rest on the bottom. That tank had no crawfish.

 

[Cafe Jeff]

They're quite nice steamed with a bit of Tobasco and lemon. Jeff

 

[okaquarium]

i have 1 in 55gal right now hes pretty big so cichlid stays away right now....when i got him he has no large claws anyone else ever had 1 like this....dont know how he lost them he came with the 55gal i bought

 

[jmeunier]

I had some plain old white crawfish in with my cichlids.

Let's see...one crawfish consumed over the course of 1 month:
2 Red Terrors (3 inch)
2 Oscars (3 inch)
1 crawfish (2 inch)
1 pleco (3 inch)
1 convict (2 inch)

It also molted twice in 2 months, one morning, I woke up to find him downstairs on the living room floor. Traveled out of the tank, onto the floor, down a flight of stairs, and into the living room. Picked him up, put him in his OWN tank (with feeder comets), and there he lived for about 8 more months without molting, until he got out again. Found him 1 week later under the kitchen stove--very dry and dead.

That being said, I've got a red crawfish in with my cichlids now--all the fish are at least 8 inches long, and the crawfish is only about 4 inches. No problem whatsever for the fish. Feed the crawfish shrimp pellets and algae discs and he's happy as a clam, and leaves the fish alone.

jay

 

[toughguy1]

First, sorry for the misspelling of crayfish. I just spelled like people around here pronounce it. After a while, I had a thought. In order to protect the fish, what if I put small rubber bands around the crayfish's large pinchers. Doesn't the crayfish have smaller hands or smaller pinchers to eat with? Are the larger pinchers just for hunting?

 

[robertmarda]

I wouldn't recommend doing that. Also, if you did do that you might find that the crayfish can use its smaller ones to cut through the rubber bands.

 

[grimlock3000]

In order to protect the fish, what if I put small rubber bands around the crayfish's large pinchers. Doesn't the crayfish have smaller hands or smaller pinchers to eat with? Are the larger pinchers just for hunting?

If you feel you have to handicap a specimen to keep it in your tank, just do not get it. It it not fair to the animal.

Lobster have their claws banded when they get sold as food. This prevent people from getting their fingers crushed as they move the Lobster from the store to the cooking pot... Otherwise, it is bad for the Lobster.