keeping crayfish is always ify they will eat anything they can get there pincher on. there a scavengers end of story.
DO NOT KEEP CRAWDAD
- Thread starter cmg 123
- Start date
Crayfish are not the docile scavengers many people believe them to be. They are at the very least opportunistic. When they are in "hunt" mode it is usually out of hunger. They cruz around at nite and if they are hungry enough will catch if they can. Otherwise, they stay to their cave/burrow and wait. They are very patient.
So feed those mudbugs and you wont have to worry!!
So feed those mudbugs and you wont have to worry!!
I bought some crawdads as fishing bait once and we took 4 home but my dad thought they would be fine in this cooler filled with water, 3 days later one was still alive and i conviced my dad to let me keep it in this tank that i made ( the same cooler with a oldd sponge filter and an airstone) he lived for 3 weeks in that living of nightcrawlers, crickets and veggies i gave him but i didnt have a top for cooler and he got out twice then the 3rd time we couldnot find him till the next day dead ( the saddest part is he was inches away from my tank guess he wanted to be back but he was to late) (the scariest part was he was lost in my room so that nights sleep was not good) just my experience with crawfish
It depends on the type of crawdad...Ive got a pamphlet from the Missouri DNR on crawdads, some are very aggressive and will eat live food....others are less aggressive and will mainly eat dead food (just like fish, different species have different temperments).kevinfleming21;4482626;4482626 said:
I have a crayfish ~ 5" in with baby black bullheads, Jewel cichlids and Kribesis that are all way smaller then it is. It has never caught a fish, although I have seen it when I get up for work at 4:40AM chase agressively. The biggest blue jewel is about 4 - 4.5" and will face down the cray anytime!
kevinfleming21;4482626; said:
+6
Brand new in the tank, it is more likely that the fish died without help from the cray. Trout can be difficult. If there was food in there for the cray then I don't think he would have been hunting fish that soon.
Combining crays and fish is always a volatile situation. There is always the potential that it will end bad for one or the other. They might coexist peacefully for years, but the danger is always there. If you go into it expecting them to be best friends forever, you're setting yourself up for disappointment in the future.
Crays are very easy to keep, if you are having fish killed because of them its because of your inexperience not the crays. Crays need lots of cover, and like to hole up in a dark place until night. If you have no cover for the crays OR your fish, chances are the cray will get your fish. Keep in mind crays eat primarily at night, if you can place a pellet or two of food by his home at night, your fish will be less likely to be eaten since it already has easy access to food. If you keep crays in a tank with a low height then they will get your fish at some point. In my experience tank bred crays are much less aggressive, my 12th generation of crays will climb into my hand to get a treat.
If this is not an option try getting some krebs, which are pretty calm as far as crayfish go.
If this is not an option try getting some krebs, which are pretty calm as far as crayfish go.
