I have a 55 gallon tank. I have a flowerhorn cichlid and a jack dempsey, 2 catfish and some other cichlids. I want a crawfish to help clean my tank, but i am afraid they might kill the fish at night or pinch their fins. Should i buy the crawfish?
2006-08-30 02:32:02 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Yes, it's a freshwater tank.
2006-08-30 02:39:13 · update #1
After reading the other comments (as I always do) everyone brings up good points (and Hillary, a crayfish & crawfish are 1 in the same)
It's a flip of the coin really - if your other fish are bigger than the crawfish they should be okay, BUT they also might try to eat the crawfish as certain cichlids tend to be very aggresive.
Go to a small creek, lift up a rock and get 1 or 2 with 1 of your fish nets - that way you won't feel bad when 1 of your fish eat a $10 investment.. or get some snails, they might do the job..
2006-08-30 09:10:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Did u mean "Crayfish?"
If so,Heres a part of an article which i thought was interesting info:!
"Crayfish will try very hard to eat your fish. They will lay in wait until a fish swims through their open claws, or if they have their tail curled up they can lunge forward a few inches to try to catch a fish. They may climb up plants to go fishing near the surface. I've seen them watch food that is put into the tank from a few inches away, and wait for fish to start eating it. Then they lunge forward to try to catch one.
I now have a single crayfish in a 10 gallon tank with White Cloud Minnows, feeder guppies, and a Chinese Algae Eater. The crayfish ate some of the guppies but the survivors are keeping out of reach. She ate all of my Zebra Danios, and half of my White Clouds. The Chinese Algae Eater is much too fast for her, and it even hides with the crayfish and sucks on her back. I'd recommend feeder guppies, feeder goldfish, or minnows from a bait store (anything cheap).
In the past I kept a crayfish with common (feeder) goldfish, and the crayfish was not able to successfully compete for food against the goldfish. I had to "hand" feed it with a pair of tongs. One day I came home and the four goldfish (about 3" each without the tail) had eaten about half of the 4" crayfish, and they had it well cleaned up by the next morning. I've also seen small goldfish get caught and eaten within a few minutes. Do not keep a crayfish with a fancy goldfish or any fish that is slow moving or has long fins. Do not keep them with Weather Loaches (Dojos), as they will lay on the bottom of the tank and allow the crayfish to walk up and pinch them."
2006-08-30 09:39:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
they might end up eating smaller fish... i was in a marine biology class and we were watching the fish in a fish tank, when out of nowhere, the crawfish that was in the tank attacked one of the fish that was swimming around it. it was actually slightly bigger than the crawfish, which kind of suprised me. however, it was actually very interesting to watch as the crawfish devoured his prey... but i really dont think that's what you want a crawfish for...
maybe you should go with some other kind of fish to help clean the tank...
2006-08-30 09:41:33 · answer #3 · answered by gweensies 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We tried putting a crawfish in our pond. It didn't kill the fish, but it floated to the top dead in a few days. I was goofing off with some kids here at a Crawfish boil.
2006-08-30 09:39:32 · answer #4 · answered by Fleur de Lis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had one in my fish tank. It ate any dead fish it could find and a couple of the smaller ones it could catch.
One thing it did do alot was climb out of the tank. It would sit on top of the light housing. Once I found it in the kitchen and another time I found my cat playing with it in the bathroom. I never actually caught it escaping, but I think it must have climed up the tubes that went into the filter.
2006-08-31 11:58:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are those other fish freshwater fish? I think a crawfish is, and I'm pretty certain the catfish is. I don't know....
2006-08-30 09:38:03 · answer #6 · answered by kitty fresh & hissin' crew 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also had a 55 gal tank, with a red devil in it, I put in a crawfish and the red devil tore the crawfish up, if i was u i wouldnt do it
2006-08-30 09:51:23 · answer #7 · answered by feline 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A crayfish might harm or eat smaller fish, especially at night, but I'd be more concerned about your fish eating the crayfish.
Your cichlids would either dismantle it on sight or devour it later on after it has molted (they're soft and vulnerable for about a day or so after they shed their exoskeletons).
2006-08-30 11:34:40 · answer #8 · answered by Kay B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will try to eat them, but if they are healthy and aware, it won't be able to catch them.
I had several in a 55 gal tank for several years. One eventually ate all the others and a couple of slower fish.
2006-08-30 09:37:43 · answer #9 · answered by campojoe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have had crawfish and they without a doubt will harm your fish..they mite seem ok with them during the daytime but soon you will wake up and turn the light on and you will have fewer and fewer fish
2006-08-30 12:50:21 · answer #10 · answered by double b 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋