What to do with crayfish?

[SalviniCichlidFan]

Hey y'all,

My friend recently donated his pet crayfish (3 inches long) to me. It is an asexually reproducing marble crayfish so I wanted to keep it. He keeps it in one of those plastic betta cups that you find in Petco/Petsmart, but I want to rehome this crayfish into one of my tanks. I am currently deciding which tank I should put the crayfish in.

Here are my 2 choices:

A) 29 gallon tank. Stocking: Female convict cichlid, grow-out Mbuna (that I will remove later), 4 Serpae tetras, rainbow shark, swordtail, clown pleco.

-Pros: large tank, more peaceful fish than my 10 gallon (option B)
-Cons: may eat Serpae tetras? (I don't know, since the crayfish is 3 inches long), and maybe Convict will attack it


B) 10 gallon quarantine/isolation tank. Stocking: 1 4 inch Demasoni cichlid (I'm holding him there because he was too aggressive for my 75). 3 inch rubber lip pleco

-Pros: Crayfish will not eat other fish in there
-Cons: Demasoni cichlid may attack the crayfish

So which tank should I put it in? Thanks

 

[tlindsey]

Hey y'all,

My friend recently donated his pet crayfish (3 inches long) to me. It is an asexually reproducing marble crayfish so I wanted to keep it. He keeps it in one of those plastic betta cups that you find in Petco/Petsmart, but I want to rehome this crayfish into one of my tanks. I am currently deciding which tank I should put the crayfish in.

Here are my 2 choices:

A) 29 gallon tank. Stocking: Female convict cichlid, grow-out Mbuna (that I will remove later), 4 Serpae tetras, rainbow shark, swordtail, clown pleco.

-Pros: large tank, more peaceful fish than my 10 gallon (option B)
-Cons: may eat Serpae tetras? (I don't know, since the crayfish is 3 inches long), and maybe Convict will attack it


B) 10 gallon quarantine/isolation tank. Stocking: 1 4 inch Demasoni cichlid (I'm holding him there because he was too aggressive for my 75). 3 inch rubber lip pleco

-Pros: Crayfish will not eat other fish in there
-Cons: Demasoni cichlid may attack the crayfish

So which tank should I put it in? Thanks

I wouldn't worry about the crayfish being attacked but the crayfish attacking. I personally would put it in the 10 gallon.

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

Will the Demasoni attack the Crayfish In the 10 gallon? The crayfish is still a juvenile as it is 3 inches long.

 

[Deadeye]

Personally I’d find a 10 too small for a cray.
Assuming you move out the mbunas it should be safe in the 29. Really crays are only a threat to sick/dying fish or slow fish with long flowing fins. Tetras should be safe, and a convict is too small to really make a meal out of it.

 

[twentyleagues]

I have crayfish I breed for my fahaka. They are in a tank with a bunch of guppies and they most definitely catch and eat guppies that are perfectly healthy. I'd worry more about the other fish you intend on keeping with it. Being 3" I don't think it would have to much of a problem catching and killing any of those fish you are talking about. The larger fish could definitely damage it and will eat any clones it produces, I still feel that the cray is more of a danger to the fish.

 

[jjohnwm]

I agree, crayfish and fish are generally a poor mix. Crayfish may not be great at predating on healthy lively fish during the day, but normally those healthy tankmates start to disappear, one at a time, every night. They are also really tough on live plants.

Crayfish are interesting, underappreciated aquarium specimens; much better suited to species tanks than to communities. Even when kept only with each other, they have a tendency to pick each other off by attacking their buddies whenever one of them moults and is vulnerable.

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

Ok, I decided to put the crayfish in my 10 gallon with the demasoni cichlid. They are fighting a bit at first, but the crayfish is defending himself well. However, a question came to my mind: Will the demasoni kill the crayfish when he is molting?

 

[jjohnwm]

Well, it sounds like he is trying to kill it now; what do you suppose he will do when the crayfish is soft, vulnerable and defenceless?

Putting two incompatible critters in a situation where they are never more than twenty inches apart really isn't a viable long-term plan.

Picture locking yourself into a studio apartment with a bear...

 

[Deadeye]

Crayfish won’t last long with the demansoni.

 

[twentyleagues]

Bets anyone?