# Crayfish Tank-What do you think?



## able_ranui (Feb 26, 2004)

Hi
Here's a picture of my crayfish tank. Let me know what you think. Sorry about the quality, but I couldn't get the better one to download(way too big).


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

what types of fish do you have in there? any pics of the crayfish?


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## nonamethefish (Feb 25, 2004)

I'm really surprised he hasn't eaten anything! You would think he would plow down that stand of vals pretty quick. The choice of guppies(or are they Endlers) is pretty good as they reproduce pretty quickly to cover any losses. Also, I don't see any bottomfeeders in this pic...another wise choice.


blackhole: I think you can see it in the pic. Look for legs going into a flowerpot.

Its pretty good sized. I have a male right now...but his little home isn't anywhere near this good. That lucky guy must think he's died and gone to heaven with a meat buffet and a salad bar!


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

I am really not impressed by this setup, primarily for one reason: mixing crayfish with relatively defenseless fish. Don't be surprised to wake up one morning and find either your blue ram, your kribensis, or one of your guppies being eaten. Either keep the fish or keep the crayfish, in my opinion.

Otherwise, you have a nice start. I would remove the greenish background and replace it with a solid color. 

Carlos


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## nonamethefish (Feb 25, 2004)

I think the guppies are okay...but yeah, its really risking it with those cichlids....esp if they are caught in a cave with no exit.


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## dom (Apr 28, 2004)

Saw a Krib. It is a very aggressive cichlid. Especially when they are spawning. Any fishes swim near to their fries. They will attacking.


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## able_ranui (Feb 26, 2004)

They are guppies, just feeders and I only started with 9 :shock: ! I've actually never seen him catch a fish, though if one dies... and most of the hiding places have two exits and are too small for him to go into. He has his one cave and the fish know to not go in there. I don't like having the cichlids in there, but I'm short a tank right now and I couldn't put them in with anyone else. (Platies and Bettas are my main fish in the other tanks.) The only thing he is hard on in the tank is the Java Fern and the Anacharis(I don't think there is any left). He basically leaves everything else alone, though sometimes the dwarf sag gets pulled out or attacked(its beside the Java Fern). My aquariums right now all have those plastic tank backers of planted tank scenes(from plastic plant days :roll: ) What do people use for backgrounds other than those? What colors would be good?


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## neonfish3 (Feb 12, 2004)

I kept a 5" inch crayfish in a heavily planted tank once. (Never Again) It mowed all my plants down. Cut them very neatly at 1/2"inch above the surface of the gravel. The plants must have been it's way to catch the fish I had in there. Every morning it would have a fish in it's claw, chewing it down. It wase a native tank with Black Crappie, Perch and Sunfish. I kept local minnows (Golden Shiners, Mud Minnows, Fatheads) for food for the game fish, but the crayfish ate them. I thought the crayfish would be a good addition for my native tank, I WAS WRONG :roll: 
Good Luck....
Maybe I just had a mean one. :twisted: 
Steve


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## nonamethefish (Feb 25, 2004)

Dom: True that kribs can be aggresive especially when protecting a spawn of babies. But those little lips and tiny teeth are no match for the "armor plating" and claws.


neonfish3: I've had a pretty similar experience. If they don;t eat them, they will either uproot them, or chop them. 


Kinda surprised he attacks the java fern. Does he eat the rhizome? That must be full of nutrients.


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## able_ranui (Feb 26, 2004)

Hi
No, he leaves the rhizome and eats the leaves, needless to say it is not growing all that great. He eats the whole plant of the Anacharis. I think because I keep him well fed with bottom feeder foods he doesn't really go for the fish or the other plants. They've learned to stay away from him mostly, so have I :wink: . He has doubled in size since I got him, he's about 6/7 inches counting the claws. Another thing, my tank isn't that heavily planted and I left paths for him to march down. One day he may just decide to destroy the plants overnight, but they are extras from my other tanks. He was actually harder on the plastic plants, had to get good silk plants because they are tougher and he couldn't strip them overnight.


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## nonamethefish (Feb 25, 2004)

Yeah: paths is a good idea. I've seen them push over large plastic plants cause when they want to get from here to there...nothing stops them!


If I ever have a spare tank I'll have to give this a try!


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## able_ranui (Feb 26, 2004)

Another picture of my crayfish.


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