Glass catfish Qs

[bra_van_drakh]

i've got a 20 gal tank, very light planted, still having a mini cycle at the moment coz i've just started them 3 days ago, i'm using aquaclear 150, with only 2 banana lilies, 1 anubias paco, and 1 anubias that i dont know[still waiting for my irder of lots of waterplants online]. ..i put 5 mystery snails and a blue knight crayfish [call her Luna, she's making her hollow log home more comfy at the moment, and she's diging in a very cute way too^^]... .

i'm going to add some fish, and was thinking about 4 to 8 glass catfish coz they looked so cool.. .will my Luna be a threat or being threatened by these glassfish ??? and can i also put a farlowella inside ???

here's the pict of my new tank[still to improve] and Luna[sorry for the bad pict, got them with my handphone]

 

[Purrbox]

There are some snails and crayfish that will turn live plants into a saladbar. I would recommend checking to ensure that the ones you've obtained won't munch on the plants before adding that large order to the aquarium.

I'm not sure, but I believe your fish selections will get to be too large for a 20 gallon aquarium. The crayfish may also make a meal out of your fish. I'd definately research both before adding any more fish to the aquarium.

 

[theotheragentm]

Crayfish will eat anything they can catch.

 

[bra_van_drakh]

so. .. just woke up this morning and found out that my snails had been busy last night, they took a pinch on my anubias sp. an broke 1 of the leaf of my banana lily. . .i'm deffinetely returning them. .. .

on the other hand, Luna seemed to be doing very well, she really enjoys her algae wafer^^.. .and tries to shoo any snails that come by to her log
most people say that blue knights are slow movers, so try a fast moving one. . .besides, i think that she wouldnt go out of her log too far. ..would she ???

anyhow .. .is it too large ??? coz i thought that glass cats could only reach 3".. .

 

[QTOFFER]

The crayfish will try to catch what it sees, and eat what it catches. Of course, it would have to get lucky, but in an enclosed space (ie a tank), its chances for success are greatly improved. Crayfish are great climbers, so even middle-dwelling fish may be at risk. I don't think that glass cats would be a good tankmate. As I understand, they pretty much stay in one place and aren't particularly quick.

Regarding the snails, some species of mystery/apple snails eat plants and some don't. The ones that I have decimated my hygro and anubias before I moved them to a tank containing only Java fern. Crayfish sometimes rip apart plants too.

Finally, one note about your tank (nicely done, BTW). I would put a thick piece of plywood under the tank to better support the sides. I'm worried that you may be putting uneven stress on the seams - 20 gal is big enough tank to warrant this concern.

 

[mattrox]

Your crayfish is probably Cherax destructor. It will eat any small fish it can catch. Blue Knight is just the name they use to sell it to you.

Biology of Yabbies (cherax destructor)

 

[Zagz]

A farlowella will be too big for that tank. I have one in a 135 gal tank. Not to mention that any fish are in danger with a crayfish.

 

[bra_van_drakh]

hahahaha. .. .just got back from the LFS, and juast said as the guy in the LFS said, she's Cherax destructor. .. .i think i'll move her to a new tank without plants. . she rips them apart rite ???

thX fr ur compliment btw, QTOFFER. . .it's not done yet.. .
yeah. . .i'll get some plywood soon. ..

thX evryone^^

 

[QTOFFER]

When I had my crayfish, it completely destroyed a plastic plant. It didn't eat any; it just disassembled it methodically and chopped it into little pieces that clogged up the filter intake. All that was left was a little plastic stub attached to the base. I don't know how one would behave toward live plants, but I wouldn't test it using one of my prize Java ferns or anubias!

 

[bra_van_drakh]

just found out that she's a he, so gonna change Luna to Moonlight^^. ..
so he was the one that snapped my banana lily last night. . .but he doesnt come out at day does he ??? destroys only at night ???

 

[bra_van_drakh]

owkay. ..i'm moving him to a smaller tank just for him wthout any plantation. ..just some a log for him to burrow. ..he just snapped 1 of my glassfish last night [disappointed]

 

[mattrox]

Cherax destructor are very active at night.... when fish are still they can get nipped and eaten.

 

[bra_van_drakh]

sad day... .just woke up from my nap and 2 of my 5 glasscats died. .. .i'm still wondering why they're not as agressive as their relatives. . .since i bought them, they havent touch any food at all, im feeding them floating flakes, sinking pellets, and none of them they even look at. ..do they only eat on frozen bloodworms ??? i'm really2 desperate right now.. .

 

[edi]

I recently just got some glass cats too, they didn't like the flakes, I got some frozen blood worms for my knife fish, and the cats went crazy over those. Hope this helps.

 

[marchmaxima]

Destructor.... Nice name

I have a cat just like it

 

[SerLunchbox]

Unfortunately, the Yabbie (your blue crayfish) is also an extremely good escape artist. If this guy can find a way OUT of the aquarium he will make his way out. I had one living in a 5 gallon wooded tank and I consistantly saw him trying to get his claws (to start) out of the tank and in some cases he was successful. I would recommend that you put some sort of weight on the lid of the tank to ensure that he can't get out from any point whether it is the front lid or the back.

Glass cats are very tempermental. It has been my experience that they need optimal tank conditions to survive. I have also found that they have a higher death rate then most other catfish species. They also seem to be one of the most fed on fish that people have kept (including what I used to keep.) They look cool but just remember that they are harder to keep.

 

[bra_van_drakh]

i've put my blue destructor to a 5 gal tank last week, and 3 days ago he molt and got slightly larger. . .he seemed fine i guess, and very agressive.. .

finally my glasscats want to eat, but must be hand fed at all times, which confuses me how to leave them for 2 months next year when i go back to indonesia .T _ T. and an update, my bronze corries laid eggs 2 days ago, about 40 eggs attached to my glass. ..should i separate them in a different tank and put some methylene blue [to get rid some fungus] or just put them in a fry net in the same tank ???