# Crawfish/Lobster



## AmberSunrise (Sep 14, 2010)

I have always wanted to get a blue lobster for my tanks but the petstores always warn me that they will snap at my other fish so I always pass it up. 

I have a few plants in my 30 gallon angel tank and I have a 10 gallon community tank with tetras, neons and corries. 

I have recently set up a small 5gal tank with the purpose of focusing more on planting than fish. But thought it might be an opportunity to finally get that lobster I always wanted. 

When at a local aquarium specialty store looking at plants, I mentioned the lobster and he told me that it might dig up and munch on my plants! 

Does anyone have experience with them in their planted tanks? I did a search in the forums but didnt really see much about them. 

Thanks


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I've heard of folks keeping dwarf crays wihtout issues in planted tanks, but I'm not sure about the "lobsters".

-Dave


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

crayfish can be very disruptive to a planted tank. They nip the tender stems, and are predatory toward the fish. 
My Marbled crays have torn up the tanks they are in. 
I have heard of some cray (maybe a native? Good sized one, anyway) even snipping apart plastic plants. 

If you want one then set a side a tank especially for it. Rocks, driftwood... Then put some eggcrate or other divider across the back and grow the plants behind it. The plants will grow through the eggcrate, but I do not know if the ray will leave them alone long enough to grow and hide the eggcrate. 
A planted sump is another way to get the benefits of plants (Filtration, oxygen...) when the tank has critters that destroy plants.


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## AmberSunrise (Sep 14, 2010)

Ok thanks thats a bummer I know my luck if I got one he would be a nutcase and destroy everything.


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## Grathum (Jul 13, 2010)

+1 on the previous post. Plants are actually a part of the crayfish natural diet. They will eat them up. Fish are also part of the natural diet (they will eat any of them they can catch). 

I used to keep crayfish and they are fun pets but they need a species tank. Think of them as cichlids with legs. They will tear up plants, eat whatever they can catch (fish, invertibrates, themselves...gotta watch for when they shed because if you have multiple crayfish the others will choose that time to attack), and dig up their tank to suit themselves.

They are also escape artists and if you keep the tank full of water they will swim up and try to find ways to climb out.


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

i agree... if possible get dwarf crays but they eat some plants... but if you keep them fed then they won't eat plants... i went to taiwan and when i came back they ate my camboba


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