Addition Of a Crayfish

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KuangMingJie

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 26, 2009
64
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0
Singapore
Hi all~!

I currently have a 2ft tank with albino bichirs and ghost shrimps as feeders.

I am thinking of adding a small white crayfish into my tank.
Things to consider
- I know the crayfish will feed on the shrimps but thats not the problem. Will the crayfish kill shrimps even when its not hungry? I dont want a tank of dead decomposing shrimps clouding my tank.
- Will my albinos feed on the crayfish when they are big enough?

Thanks~!
 
First and foremost, the crayfish feeding on the shrimp is a problem. Shrimp (commercial and pet, SW & FW) can carry WSSV (as well as other diseases) that are fatal to the crayfish when it contracts them (no treatment, no cure, the crayfish dies). Shrimp and crayfish should NOT be housed together. And crayfish should never be fed shrimp or shrimp products unless they've been processed/cooked at high temperatures or freeze dried repeatedly.

But for your question, depending on the species and the individual personality, you may or may not end up with a tank of dead shrimp. A more carnivorous species will be likely to hunt more often, a more aggressive species will be likely to just kill off tankmates more often, etc. And the flip side, a more herbivorous species will hunt less often, a more passive species is likely to co-exist in a non-species only tank, etc.

And your bichirs will probably try to eat the crayfish at any point. I had two small delhezi and senegalus that readily ate crayfish half their size or smaller, and actively tried to tear apart crayfish that were bigger than them. And currently, my senegalus' favorite food is crayfish, it loves to hunt them no matter what size they are (he's about 6-7" now). If you're looking to keep the crayfish as anything more than a feeder, your set up isn't going to be ideal for it.

Good luck! They're awesome pets to have ^_^
 
Thanks~!

This really sarks as the white cray is really really snowy and pretty... Lucky I didnt buy them on impulse, or they will end up to no good in the end.

Now my tank only has 2 albino bichirs and an army of feeder ghost shrimps... So boring!

=(
 
Put some mollies/platys/guppies in there... my bichir does all kinds of interesting things when he starts hunting fish (and those fish breed like wildfire, its ongoing food lol) . And since he doesn't eat them all at once, it's more interesting movement in the interim. ^_^

But on a side note, you could alway buy white P. clarkii (what's in stores is usually white P. alleni) and throw them in. They look almost identical to the white store bought crayfish, but are a lot cheaper. You can usually buy them in groups cheaply on aquabid.com or ebay.com. It'd give you a bunch to look at and wouldn't hurt the wallet so much when they bit the dust. ...unfortunately, they will bite the dust. I had some big ones in my tank once, my bichirs just waited for them to molt and then ripped them apart *headdesk* I was sooo pissed.

Where you going to look into other things to put in the tank?
 
Hmmm I am still looking at other choices of fish to add into my tank, I like aros but it seems 2ft tank are not big enough for them...
 
i have a blue crayfish about 4" long. I bought 2 senegal bichirs about 2"long each The crayfish killed them within 2 days of each other. So be sure the bichirs are larger by far than the crayfish. Crayfish usually better off by themselves but I have mine with SA cichlids.(JD jaguar firemouth jurapari) But I will have to rehome it when they get bigger
 
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