Is it safe to put a crayfish in a fish tank?

Question

My cousin is going to buy BIG fish tank for fighter fish. We are each going to buy 1 and have bets and stuff. Is it safe to put a crayfish from a stream in my neighborhood? Were using fish like red devils, pacos, ciclids...

Answer 1

Generally fish and crayfish aren't the best mix. If a fish is small enough, it will eventually become food for the crayfish. Eventually the crayfish will need to molt it's exoskeleton as it grows, and once it does, any large and aggressive fish may try to make a meal of it. Given the fish choices you list, it sounds like the crayfish will become food. You could add rocks to give the crayfish a hiding spot, but cichlids also like to rearrange rockwork, so if they can't get at the crayfish to eat it, they might still topple the rocks he's under and kill it.

This doesn't begin to consider that anything taken from the environment may be exposed to and/or carrying bacteria and/or parasites which may be passed on to your fish.

If you want to keep a crayfish, it would be better to set one up in its own tank. And if you plan to keep a pacu, I hope this really is a big tank - they grow to around 3 1/2 feet long!

Answer 2

Fish fighting is illegal and is completely morally wrong. I really hope you reconsider putting fish together for the purpose of fighting. The crayfish if too large to be food for the fish you choose, will try to make food out of your fish, so it's not overly recommended.

Answer 3

the crayfish will bite chunks out of your fish. Kind of cruel, but if you are looking for a battle royale of your animals, that is one for the mix

Answer 4

No it wont be safe because all your other little fish would die.

Answer 5

Its people like you that are whats wrong with this world.

Answer 6

what is next, dogfighting.