crayfish - MyFishTank.Net Freshwater Saltwater Aquarium Fish Forum

fishlover1 · 01-24-2006, 09:33 AM

hey this is my first post, just wanted to say hello to everyone.

i also got fish but this is my brown cray that i also got

Big Vine · 02-08-2006, 12:18 PM

fishlover1,

I'm surprised no one has replied in this thread yet! Your crayfish looks good...
What kind of a setup do you have it in? What size of tank, etc.? Any fish in there with him...any plans to put fish in there?

I've got my little blue guy (see avatar) in a 3 gallon tank, but was thinking of gradually adding in the 5 cherry barbs from my 12 gallon tank. I know he'll probably eat them at some point, but I just wanna free up some space in the 12 gal. so I can put something else in there.
What do you think?

Have you fed your crayfish any live specimens yet...lol?

Big Vine

PuNanny · 02-08-2006, 12:36 PM

Nice crayfish Fishlover looks nice and welcome to MFT.

fishlover1 · 02-08-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

I've got my little blue guy (see avatar) in a 3 gallon tank, but was thinking of gradually adding in the 5 cherry barbs from my 12 gallon tank. I know he'll probably eat them at some point, but I just wanna free up some space in the 12 gal. so I can put something else in there.
What do you think?

Have you fed your crayfish any live specimens yet...lol?

Big Vine

lol i gave it back to petland but heres how i had it.
i had in a 15 gal with a immunis(smaller less agressive cray and light blue)and one mourning i found him in the other side of the divider and my immunis dead, he was REALLY agressive. i had a filter(HOB) and thats it, just rocks and plants in there. i couldent put anything in the tank because he would eat them in a hurry,the only fishes you can get away with is like tetras and guppies you kno FAST fish. i bought 2 fedders and put them in the tank and in less then 5 mins they were gone he smashed one so hard you can see the fishes eyes popping out, those claws dont play. the by the look of your cray claws i think its a alleni which is the same i had but different color(goto bluecrayfish.com its a REALLY good forum where you can find out everything you need on your cray) another thing is your tank is too small it should be atleast 10gal for one that size. goto bluecrayfish.com and you can find out your cray specie. this was my immunis b4 it was killed:
eating here moulted shell

and the tank:

BAD BOY

Big Vine · 02-09-2006, 12:56 AM

fishlover1,

Wow...thanks for the info. and the wonderful pics.

So that orange-colored guy in the bottom pic is the one that ate the immunis? That's not the same one that is shown in your first post in this thread, is it---you said you took that orangier one back to the LFS, right?

So my 3 gallon is too small? Figured it might be.

My avatar pic is an extreme close-up, and my little blue is actually only about 2 to 3 inches in length at the moment. He can grow up to about 6 (so I've read and been told).
Think I could keep him in the 3 gallon until he gets a bit bigger, or is it necessary to move him to the 12 right away?

The problem is that the 12 already has 4 little cories and 2 shrimp in there...which I'm sure the cray will devour. Not to mention a couple snails...Will he eat them too (cracking through shells and all)?

They're each about an inch/inch-and-a-half in diameter.

How about this?
Maybe I should just feed the cherry barbs to the cray, then swap the cray with the cories, shrimp, (and possibly the snails) from the 12 gallon tank.
That would then give me the option of sort of "starting over" with species that will more likely survive alongside the crayfish.

Then again, that's over-loading the 3 gallon tank...Maybe I could leave the cories in the 12 gal. and see if they can manage to elude the cray---if not, then tough luck for them, I suppose.
That way I could just move the shrimp and the snails to the 3 gallon...would that allow me room for any fish in the 3 gallon tank?

So many things to consider...Argghhh...

Any suggestions?

Ahem...hehe...suggestions aside from telling me to go buy a bigger tank please. Lol.

Big Vine

fishlover1 · 02-09-2006, 04:02 PM

yea its the same cray is just that when he moulted his claws got blue also when hes out of the water the camera changes his color alittle.
i dont have any more crays. yes your cray will go after you shrimp and cories and most likely catch them because the shrimp cant swim and the cories will eventually get tired of running and get eatin. did you goto bluecrayfish.com and join the forum?the only thing i can think of is like you said put him in the 12 gal and risking your other fish or just leave him where he is until you can get another tank or make space in your 12 gal.the forum will help you alot trust me.

Big Vine · 02-09-2006, 05:57 PM

fishlover1,

Thanks for the tips. I checked out that site and forum you mentioned---I've actually read through a lot of the site info. before, but never really did take notice of the forum sections until you pointed it out. Lots of good info. I probably will join up there at some point.

Mine's definitely a Procambarus alleni.

Will the cray grow to "full size" in the 3 gallon tank, or will his growth be significantly stunted (i.e. as would be the case with sticking a large-sized adult fish into a small tank) because of the fact that it's such a small living space?

My plan for the moment is to try my hand at keeping and breeding platies again. I'll move the 5 cherry barbs to the cray tank (whether or not they get eaten is up to the cray)...or possibly take them to the LFS.

That will give me room in the 12 gallon for 4 platies (1 male; 3 females).

The 3 gallon will then serve as a fry-rearing tank. Deformed platies will immediately become feeders for the cray.

Thanks for the help.
Big Vine

fishlover1 · 02-09-2006, 06:53 PM

it will probably grow to full size but wont feel comfortable. uhmmm what do you mean by deformed fish?because if your fish has a disease and the cray is not immune to it then it might contract it by eating it. also p.alleni is what i had so yea it will eat any fish in there.

Big Vine · 02-09-2006, 07:26 PM

Thanks again for the reply.

By "deformed" fish, I was specifically referring to any platy fry that I raise (in the future) that end up with any spinal curvature or similar deformities....Keeping in mind that these are fish which have been bred and raised in disease-free conditions, and have only been rendered to a "deformed" state as a result of genetic defects passed on at birth (primarily attributed to the intensive inbreeding of livebearers that has been commonplace in the fishkeeping industry).

Very wise of you to suggest keeping diseased fish away from the crayfish though.

That is why I never intend to put any "feeder fish" in with him. But, rather, any "feeders" that I refer to are healthy fish taken from my own tanks.

Big Vine

fishlover1 · 02-09-2006, 07:30 PM

alrighty then. he'll enjoy it if you do. i also fed mine peas,and carrots. you can also try potato.