Aquarium Re-Design Questions w/ Crays

[chazwood918]

Ok so I have a 90 gallon freshwater tank; currently I have all artificial plant decorations, a castle, and a couple store bought rocks, and rocks that I found in a local stream (that I boiled to sterilize). NOTE- It's been over a year since I put them into my tank and I have had no issues. I have the following fish in the aquarium.....

*Black Ghost Knife (Approx 6-7 inches long)
*(5x) Bala Sharks (From 3-4 inches)
*Red Fin Shark (4 inches)
*Iridescent Shark (2.5 inches)
*Tiger Botia (4 inches)
*Common Plecco (4 inches)
*Blue Phantom Plecco (4.5 inches)
*Angelica Catfish (3 inches)
*Rope Fish (11 inches)
*Vibrant Red Lobster, Electric Blue Lobster, & a White Lobster (all around 3-3.5 inches long)

I know crayfish pose a direct threat to live plants, as do pleccos. However, is there any exception to the rule? I'd really like to maximize the quality of life for the fish by adding live plants, but based on my research it seems like I don't have any options.... I had read that there's a plant that will grow on drift wood that crayfish normally leave alone; but pleccos destroy the wood?

Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Fat Homer]

The crays will either kill some of the fish or at least try and pick on some...

Also, crays will destroy plants as well, they love clipping leaves off the stem... So i would say, if you want to do a planted tank, maybe an idea to do a separate smaller tank for that purpose?


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[chazwood918]

I've had crays with these guys for about 8 months now. These fish are all far too quick to ever be bothered by the crays; rather it's the crays that are at risk. I try to pay attention for the tell tale signs of molting and seclude them until a day or so after the molt, because the only things I've had die in the last 2 years were 2 crays that got shredded during molt.

And thank you for your help; I just find it odd that these animals (albeit their usually found in rocky stream beds) can't co-exist with vegetation, so I had to ask.

 

[Fat Homer]

^ Yeah, i think they possibly eat some of the plants as well, although thats just a guess, since i breed marble crays to feed to my puffer, and when i used to have live plants in the tank with them, they started tearing them apart little by little, till i finally i gave up and chucked in a few fake plants for the babies to hide in...