Crayfish with cichlids???

[SherLar]

Whenever I stop by a LFS, I like to look at the crayfish. So many varieties and colors compared to a few years ago. Would love to pick up a couple, but when I talk to LFS employees, I get conflicting stories: the crayfish will eat my slower/smaller fish; crayfish are safe for all fish; crayfish are safe with any fish too small to eat it; crayfish are easily stressed by fish . . .
So, my question is: is it possible, and safe for both fish and crayfish, to put 1 or more into either my 150g long New World cichlid tank, with the largest denizen being a peaceful, yet curious oscar of 12", or into my Malawi cichlid tank of 90g? The electric blue crays would look good in my Tanganyikan tank against the white sand, but have many small fish in it. Would they be safe with crayfish? If I'm good to put them in any of my tanks, can different crayfish co-exist peacefully in the same tank? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[AnimalKrazed]

Whenever I stop by a LFS, I like to look at the crayfish. So many varieties and colors compared to a few years ago. Would love to pick up a couple, but when I talk to LFS employees, I get conflicting stories: the crayfish will eat my slower/smaller fish; crayfish are safe for all fish; crayfish are safe with any fish too small to eat it; crayfish are easily stressed by fish . . .
So, my question is: is it possible, and safe for both fish and crayfish, to put 1 or more into either my 150g long New World cichlid tank, with the largest denizen being a peaceful, yet curious oscar of 12", or into my Malawi cichlid tank of 90g? The electric blue crays would look good in my Tanganyikan tank against the white sand, but have many small fish in it. Would they be safe with crayfish? If I'm good to put them in any of my tanks, can different crayfish co-exist peacefully in the same tank? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

I don't know just how well a crayfish would go with the African cichlids. I have had them in the past but never actually had them with anything other than other african cichlids. I am pretty sure that, depending on the kind of cichlids you have, that it might be possible. I would wait for someone with more experience than what little I got with African cichlids to help you figure that sort of thing out.

On the New World cichlid tank, I do have more experience on that situation since my brother had an Oscar tank with a crayfish in it once. He had two young oscars with a crayfish at one point. At the time, the oscars were only 5-6 inches and the crayfish was about half an inch smaller. One day, we left them alone to go to school and came back home only to find bits of exoskeleton floating in the tank. Ended up finding out online that the crustaceans such as crayfish and crawfish are part of the oscar's natural diet in the wild. Most expensive dinner a fish has ever had in my family's home.

I can't really help you beyond what I have provided since I don't have much experience with crayfish myself. Hope that the information I have brought to the table helps you out.

 

[ImACoolguy]

It really can depend on what you have. Larger crayfish are also oppertunistic. By that I mean, in the middle of the night if it can grab you fish with those claws, it just might.

I've had 2 crayfish. The first I learned the way that large South American cichlids can eat them. My Jack Dempsey got a tasty meal that day.

The second, a dwarf orange crayfish, is with my apistogramma and they are doing great.

Given larger crays claws many don't house them with fish to begin with. I've seen one almost snap a poor little puffer in half. You have meaner cichlids but I wouldn't be surprised if 1 tried to get the other one day.

 

[Delapool]

Only with goldfish but I did find the crayfish would grab onto the fins of fish as mentioned above.

 

[SherLar]

Thank you all for your responses. Not what I had hoped to hear, but as I suspected. I think I'll just hold out til I can set up a small species tank. Thanks again.