My New Cherax Quadricarinatus "blue Lobster

[forby3]

well i got him giving today when i went to collect my sevs

 

[Verminator89]

Word of advice, if you already understand this critter then cool. But IME they are absolute blighters! Mine ate everything in my tank, including a mid-size cichlid. Chomped on in the night. I had to separate mine into a 70L whilst i figured what to do with him. Which he promptly escape from and went into the nxt room and died behind the TV. They are predatory, opertunistic savages that are master escape artists.

That being said they are stunningly beautifull and i'd love to try them again one day. When i have a big enough tank with huuuge fish for him not to chomp on

 

[forby3]

my sevs are a decent size there is no way he can get to them and he has lived with them for a while the guy who i got the sevs off says he never lost anything

but thanks for the warning

 

[Verminator89]

Mine lived with and ate 8 sunset platys, 1 opaline gourami, 1 mid-size angel.

He nipped the fins of my Jacks and clown loach and thus had to go. Wasnt losing my pride and joy Jack.

Change of tank can mean change in behaviour as they stake out new territory and a new hierachy.

Good luck with him. I once saw a 9" specimen kept in a 500L with two 10" Oscars and a 'fat-lez' common gibbi that was atleast 16", magnificent!

 

[forby3]

thanks for the info mate and for the good luck if he gets too naughty im sure i will buy him a new tank

( markandhisfish i may have won the battle

)

 

[markandhisfish]

thanks for the info mate and for the good luck if he gets too naughty im sure i will buy him a new tank

( markandhisfish i may have won the battle

)

lol attaboy

 

[raptorrex]

well i got him giving today when i went to collect my sevs

placing fish with Cray is fraught with problems. however Cray that hunt and eat fish, are both rare and, usually, a product of ignorant feeding regimes.

remember the critter is not a carnivore, rather preferring rotting veg and the like. they do need protein, but sparingly. they need it to be around 30% of their diet. if you have lots of place for it to hide, you should have no problems.

i would feel its the Cray at risk, in your tank. during the moult, they are very vulnerable. an attack, or even a visit (from a fish) at this time. could set up a chain of events, leading to an attack, by the Cray, on your fish. this is, of course, if the fish don't kill the Cray, first.

If you are going to keep both together, a mature Cray (like yours) is the best option. but its also best to know the Cray history. keeping immature Cray with fish. often ends up, with the Cray turning killer.

Remember though this is not a function of it being a Crayfish. more a problem of incorrect husbandry, whilst young.

not sure it will be of help but............. profile

 

[forby3]

cheers raptorrex i have read the whole thing yesterday very informative

 

[scampi]

cheers raptorrex i have read the whole thing yesterday very informative

I have a Red Claw in with 4 Silvertip Tetras in a 10-11 gallon tank & she ignores them completely. They swim right in front of her, and even go into her log cave which I would think suicidal but there you go. I love her to bits - fascinating creature. I do have a condensation lid & a netted framed lid over that which is also tied down lol cos she does try to escape at night. It's quite loud with her tapping on the plastic lid , but doesn't go on too long. Enjoy her - they're great

 

[raptorrex]

cheers raptorrex i have read the whole thing yesterday very informative

I have a Red Claw in with 4 Silvertip Tetras in a 10-11 gallon tank & she ignores them completely. They swim right in front of her, and even go into her log cave which I would think suicidal but there you go. I love her to bits - fascinating creature. I do have a condensation lid & a netted framed lid over that which is also tied down lol cos she does try to escape at night. It's quite loud with her tapping on the plastic lid , but doesn't go on too long. Enjoy her - they're great

your problems with escape, may be down to tank size. i normally suggest a minimum of 20 uk gallons for a cray on its own. and, if it feels "hemmed in", your peaceful start may not carry on.

but you describe the activities of a "normal" cray. cray have no need (providing they have not had problems prior to maturity) to fear of fish (why should they), and tend to ignore them. providing they are well, and properly, fed. there is no reason for cray to cause problems.

we must, however, guard against the assumption a cray is "safe" to have in a community tank. some are, some are not. the decision comes with knowledge of cray behaviour. not all a suited, indeed, the same is true of cray keepers.