blue lobster at petco

[talloulou]

Has anyone seen the blue lobsters they sell at petco? Anyone have experience with them in a tank? I must say they are extremely cool to look at. Though while trying to research it on the internet I found two different kinds, one that grows to apx 5 in and one that can grow up to a foot. How do I know which kind it is.? I know I could ask petco but that might prove unreliable. If it turns out to be the type that grows to 5 it might be cool to have in my tank. My son loved the look of it.

 

[thatonegirl]

The only thing I know about those is that your lid can't have any gaps anywhere, or they will crawl out.

 

[Frank_the_Tank]

from what I've heard they catch and eat about any fish you keep in the tank with them, so you'd have to set up a species tank

 

[severum mama]

I agree with Frank about the species tank, even though on liveaquaria.com the profile says that you can keep them with fish. They are really cool looking though, I've often thought about setting up a tank for one. 8)

 

[aquanaut]

I had one once ....Woke up one morning and it was gone. Looked all around the livingroom, but couldnt find it. Then looked downstairs ( I live in a split level ) and he was all the way down there headed to the basement lol .. Make sure no gaps.. He live for a couple years then died mysteriously

 

[lukepghpa]

make sure you have no predatory fish...as soon as the lobster molts, it's gonna get eaten

 

[Veneer]

I must note that Petco carries both North American and Australian "blue lobsters" (Procambarus alleni var. "blue" and Cherax spp., respectively).

 

[QTOFFER]

The "blue lobster" is actually a rare color morph of a FW crayfish. The most commonly encountered species is Procambarus alleni, which will grow to be about 6 - 7 inches.

I have a 2 inch juvie, and he's alot of fun to watch.

You need a well secured, unheated, and well aerated tank with lots of hiding caves. They don't work well with tankmates because they will generally be eaten by, or try to eat them.
There's alot of information about these neat creatures here:
http://www.bluecrayfish.com/

 

[Guest]

My LFS has a blue lobster in a tank with neons and they get along fine, but that might be an exception to the rule.

 

[joedarat]

the community fish need to be fast, like neons.. a guy at the lfs had a community tank of about 15 fish, he added a blue lobster and a few weeks later, he was left with a lobster tank.. anything slow enuf for them to catch, wont last long... and oh yea, he said a few weeks after that, he found the lobster on the living room floor..

 

[Menagerie]

I have been raising a few "lobsters" for the past few months. They are a ton of fun and will escape if given the chance. One of the lobsters took a walk and the cats cornered it in the hall. Luckily, my husband noticed the cats and then saw the lobster. One of my lobsters will be living in a 10 gal hex with some snails and floating plants (at least that's the plan). I do not recommend putting fish in with crayfish, since most fish go to the lower parts of the tank to rest at night and become snacks

 

[mattrox]

I have seen a Cherax destructor in a LFS that had a rainbow shark and was eating it head first.

Here is some info.
http://www.australianrainbowfish.com/aquaticslife/shrimp/cherax02.html

 

[megos1]

I have heard that they can escape from your tank and also that they will eat your fish. They are very cool but I have had a lot of people complain that their favorite fish was torn up.

 

[kyrcrafter]

I know this thread is old but...

They're known for being aggressive, but I've got one in my community tank. He can be snippy and grumpy but as long as he's well fed and he's got nooks and crannies to hide in where the fish won't bother him (I've got a 20 long), he'll keep to himself. I say this with such confidence because more than 50% of my fish are bottom feeders and they're all alive and well. Although if a fish dies on its own he definitely won't pass up the opportunity for a tasty meal and may get defensive if the other fish are looking for a nibble and if you plan on keeping snails keep nerites because they stay at the top. Also, others mentioned them trying to escape. I've never had that problem and my tank has no top. It could just be those lobsters felt crowded or didn't have the right water conditions. I've only really seen that problem with crabs

 

[abw0004]

They aren't lobsters. I don't know why people keep saying they are. They are called the electric blue crayfish. I almost got one until I found out they like to rearrange your tank and tear all of your plants out.

Make sure you do not have any fish with flowing tails like bettas, guppies, endlers, etc in your aquarium or they will catch and eat them. Best case is they rip the tail off. Also if you have any breeding fish they will fight the crayfish.

 

[kyrcrafter]

They aren't lobsters. I don't know why people keep saying they are. They are called the electric blue crayfish. I almost got one until I found out they like to rearrange your tank and tear all of your plants out.

Make sure you do not have any fish with flowing tails like bettas, guppies, endlers, etc in your aquarium or they will catch and eat them. Best case is they rip the tail off. Also if you have any breeding fish they will fight the crayfish.

Lol yeah I know. I was kind of annoyed when I found out petco lists them as lobsters when they're really crayfish. I've heard that they do that, but I've never experienced that problem myself and I've met a few others I've met who've also kept them that didn't have that problem either. Maybe I just got lucky, but I've kept guppies with him before and like I said he keeps to himself since he's got places to hide

 

[2Djinn]

Had a white "lobster" for awhile. He never escaped, but man he was always prowling the tank. He climbed plants looking for a way out, but never made it. He was in a community tank and was more than fine. They are way too slow to catch a fish, but do like to scavenge whatever they can.

He molted several times and would disappear somewhere when he did. I had a couple of good little caves that he liked to retreat to.

 

[idol1]

Crayfish are crayfish,no matter if its the Australian giant or the Asian swamp,or the North American common. None of them differ on what they will eat {everything} If they can catch it or crawl on it they will eat it including each other. Meat or plant green or rotting. I raise the the Asian swamp crayfish. But mine serve a purpose.They are a key factor in my pond filtering. They basicly are my major filter for tropical pond ,the fish waste is dumped into the crayfish pond they break it all down by eating the fish waste then the water goes through another filter before returned to the main pond. I have loads of all size pvc pipes glued together one on top of the other different angles,loads of apana wood and water hyathens, it still doesn't stop canbalizim but it cuts losses ,allows for good survival rate for babies. Mine crawl out of the pond all the time I find them every where. There worse than my octopuses as escape artist. Bottom line only get one They have to have plant matter as well as meat. Mine get smelts once a week and they eat the decaying leaves of the waterhyathen .Good mosquito control.

 

[Jordanwiks]

from what I've heard they catch and eat about any fish you keep in the tank with them, so you'd have to set up a species tank

They will eat slow low swimming fish so fast mid to upper swimmers will be fine

I had a white one for a year that sadly just passed away yesterday but I had angles, danios, Aus rainbow fish, and gourami in with him. I did have two mollies with him but he ate them

 

[ColdKoi]

This thread is older than the hills lol. But they’re still cool critters!

I’m definitely one of those “ooh I want this one, and that one, and that one” kinda people when I go to the store. Last time I was there they had a pair of blue Lobsters, reluctantly I passed on them. It would have just been carnage in either one of my tanks lol

Maybe just one more tank...