I've tried keeping some crays in my tank before which seemed to be a mistake. I bought a couple red crays (plain ol' little things, I'm not sure on the species). After my first which would climb my hornwort and sway in the current at the top, I bought it 2 buddies. They proceeded to trim my new plants for me, right at the root. I've noticed many people keeping these little critters in planted tanks. Whats the trick to keeping them from destroying plants? I fed mine blanched cucumber and pellets daily and they still pinched up my plants!
Crays + Plants = Aquatic Mulch?
- Thread starter KYeasting
- Start date
lol....you won't stop them eating the plants.
Maybe if you enclosed the plants in some flyscreen mesh or put behind a glass divider so the crays can't get to them???
Maybe if you enclosed the plants in some flyscreen mesh or put behind a glass divider so the crays can't get to them???
Generally, I find that depending on the species you can buy plants they aren't interested in eating (Vals, Swords, Anubias). Or you can buy a species that's more inclined towards a meat based diet, they'll have less interest in your plants.
However, most species love Hornwort, Anacharis and Java Fern so those are probably best to be avoided all together in tanks, unless given specifically as food. I keep a lot of plants in with my crays, a few still get munched but generally I can keep most of the plants intact by offering the crays a regularly varied diet. I give them carnivore pellets, algae pellets, sinking pellets (vegetable/meat matter blends) and actual veggies (like peas, green beans, etc). And if they get a little too interested in any plant I want to keep, I throw in Java Fern and Hornwort pieces and that pretty much saves the day, heh.
Good luck!
However, most species love Hornwort, Anacharis and Java Fern so those are probably best to be avoided all together in tanks, unless given specifically as food. I keep a lot of plants in with my crays, a few still get munched but generally I can keep most of the plants intact by offering the crays a regularly varied diet. I give them carnivore pellets, algae pellets, sinking pellets (vegetable/meat matter blends) and actual veggies (like peas, green beans, etc). And if they get a little too interested in any plant I want to keep, I throw in Java Fern and Hornwort pieces and that pretty much saves the day, heh.
Good luck!
My crays don't cut them, just climb.
My pleco on the other hand... he use to hate these little plants we had. he would stick his big face (he is 12 inches long) right down into the roots and thrash around.
My pleco on the other hand... he use to hate these little plants we had. he would stick his big face (he is 12 inches long) right down into the roots and thrash around.