New Lobster!

[ShelseaRose]

Today I picked up my newest addition to my aquatic family - a lobster! He was all alone at the pet shop (bad idea, I know), left in a small tank with a few fish that were two fast for him to catch. He had wedged himself into the corner behind the filter since he had not place to hide, poor guy. I put him on "lobster layaway" a few days ago so his tank could get all cycled and set for him.

Anyways, he's incredibly beautiful, and he has /quite/ the personality! He loves his new 10gal all to himself, and I'm sure he'll outgrow it soon! He's got a fun little fake coral roof to hide in, and a few plants and stuff. Anyways, I've been having a bit of time finding reliable information on their care; it seems every place I go has different information. Right now, I basically know that the water has to be anywhere from 65-85 degrees F, he'll eat anything from feeders, to crumbles, to frozen food, (Right now I have some brine shrimp and krill for him.) he needs slightly alkaline water (the pH is about 8 right now), medium hard water (about 120 at the moment), and that he's going to get up to a foot long, and live for a /long/ time. I'm not completely sure on the life span, though, the head guy at the pet store (who keeps a LOT of fish), told me he had one that got to be 11 inches and it lived for like 25 years.

Anyways, he's been imported from New Zealand and/or Australia, where they use them as a major food source, or so I'm told, and I'm almost 100% positive he's a Blue Knight Lobster. Some other sites suggested to me that he is not indeed a lobster, but a crayfish, but the fact that he's from Australia, where they use them for food, gives me the impression that the pet store wouldn't be wrong with that much, you know? Maybe if he was blue and from America...and besides, there are such things as blue lobsters (Hammar's Blue, right?), so I'm pretty sure he's a lobbie and not a cray. Either way, he's just beautiful, blues and purples with bright shiny eyes. I was reading some other threads on here that suggested to me that he was an Australian Redclaw? I honestly have no idea whatsoever, but the pictures of the Blue Knight Lobster look very similar to him. Hopefully one of you guys could help me in that department!

I'm in love with him already! Here's a few pictures of him, maybe you guys can tell me the breed for sure or just tell me what you think of him. Any other information is really appreciated as I don't know much. What diseases can they catch? One website said hardly any, but I have no idea. But lobsters are pretty hardy, right? So if I screw up a little as I'm learning he'll be okay. Oh, that reminds me, I need a name! I have no idea whether it's a girl or a boy (can anyone tell me how to check for that?), so send some suggestions! I like Nixon... Thanks!

Sorry the photos are low quality. I stink at aquarium photography.

 

[consultantwan]

Hi, congratulations on your new family member.

We have two blue *lobsters* they are actually crayfish though... the blue lobster has fairly rounded pincers and the crayfish has elongated pointy pincers. Looking at your photo's I would hazard a guess that you have exactly what we have (crayfish)

Foodwise mine like flake food, bloodworm, frozen peas, cucumber and algae wafers.

Get prepared for when he/she moults because the first time one of mine did it i almost had a heart attack... the discarded shell looks just like a dead lobster at the bottom of the tank!

You can leave the shell in (no longer than 24hrs) as they eat them as its high in calcium and this helps the ekoskeleton harden faster. If there is any remnants after 24hrs clean it out then... mine never leave any of theirs lol

also.. avoid water changes, cleaning, general maintenance etc when he/she has just moulted as they are very fragile for a few days.
Mine tend to hide away after a moult.. probably because they are vulnerable to attacks from their tank mate during that period.

We have ours in a 320L tank with deep pebble substrate (Little H likes to burrow) Lots of tall plants (Houdini likes to climb) several large rocks, caves and bogwood.

They need plently of places to hide, they like to moult/recover in private.

If you notice your new pal isn't eating so good and seems to be laying down a lot then its usually a sign they are about to moult. Make sure you keep an eye on the food situation and get rid of anything he/she is not eating. They tend to have a huge decrease in appetite when they moult but they still like to drag the food into their little hidey holes!

and last but not least...

Get some meshing for any possible escape routes (i.e holes for filter pipes etc) because i guarantee you your pal will escape at any and every given opportunity. Houdini has been out several times (hence his name)

enjoy your new pal.. they sure are a lot of fun

 

[PRW1988]

what size tank is that? looks a bit small...

 

[ShelseaRose]

Thanks so much for the info. I guess the breed is a mystery for now, then. Anyways, I actually have a hunch that he's going to moult soon. His joints are looking a little"puffy", and I read somewhere that that can be a sign. Plus he's not eating much, although that may be part of him getting adjusted to the new tank. Today I went down to check on him and he had dug himself in a little hole with his claws folded up "sleeping". He was exploring yesterday but today he's pretty loungy, and seeing as he's pretty young (only about 4in long I'd say), it would make sense that he's about to moult, right? I read somewhere that it may take a few days for them to start to eat the shedded shell, but I'll take it out in 24hrs just in case.

Oh, he's in a 10gal right now. However, he's all by himself, and since he's so small, I figured it would be okay for awhile. When he gets bigger I plan on moving him into at least a 20gal, maybe larger. I don't want any other fish with him, so that should be okay, right? Every place I've looked said they don't need a super large tank if they're by themselves.

Anyways, thanks for the extra info! Any ideas on a name?

 

[GoldLenny]

I think you should name it Pat, Chris, Kelly or some other name that could be either a girl or boys name. Since it's pink and blue, the coloring could go either way.

 

[ShelseaRose]

My cray/lobbie is gone. I don't know what happened. A bit after I posted my last update, I decided to go shopping for a Mother's Day present. I went down to check out him quickly before I left, and he was laying upside down in the tank. I tried to flip him over, but he didn't resist, just wiggled his legs a bit and laid there. I paniced and bagged him along with a water sample and took him to the fish shop. At this time, the water was normal, his colour was fine, the only problem was that he was flipped over.

The head fish guy tested the water and said that it was ideal for lobsters and crayfish: pH was 7.6, the water was hard (160, I think?), no ammonia, no nitrates or nitrates, and that everything else was fine. The lobster himself even looked fine. (At this point I thought he was still alive.) I asked him what the problem could be and he said he had no idea, but that it had to be something in my water. They had had him at the pet store for three months, and within a day in his new tank with my water he was done. The man said he suspected copper or other metals from my public water, even though it was treated with dechlor and water preparator. He also said that since my house is older, the pipes may be copper, which doesn't effect humans or other fish, but it can do damage to invertebrates.

So anyways, I don't really know what went wrong; I have a slip to pick up the other lobster they have there once I purchase bottled water and recycle the tank. I'm so upset though. I mean, I just got the little guy yesterday and I was really starting to adore his antics and beautiful colours. I never even picked a name for him. I would really appreciate it if you guys had any ideas on the mysterious death of the lobbie? I don't want to sentence another one to the same fate, but I mean, if he was perfectly fine for three months and then died as soon as he was put in my water, there must be copper or something. Hopefully bottled water should help, no? Any advice would be great. Thanks.

Rest well, Mr. Lobster.

 

[GoldLenny]

Sorry to hear about Pat/Chris/Kelly/etc.

What dechlor product do you use and what "water preparator" product are you using? Actually, I'm not quite sure what a "water preparator" product is.

I use API's Tap Water Conditioner which treats chlorine/chloramine and heavy metals. I don't use any other chemicals in my tank unless needed for a medical condition or specific treatment.

If your dechlor product does not treat for heavy metals, you should get one that does. That would have solved the copper issue. Since you have hard water, I don't think it came from your pipes. I'm in the construction business and the copper or old galvanized or cast iron pipes are quickly coated by mineral buildup from the hard water so there is a very slim chance that any copper or anything else leeched from your pipes.

Stay away from all the stress-this and slime-that type products. I find they just add unnecessary chemicals to a tank. I never see these chemicals being added by Mother Nature. If I didn't have to use a dechlor product, I'd probably not use it either.

 

[raptorrex]

Today I picked up my newest addition to my aquatic family - a lobster! He was all alone at the pet shop (bad idea, I know), left in a small tank with a few fish that were two fast for him to catch. He had wedged himself into the corner behind the filter since he had not place to hide, poor guy. I put him on "lobster layaway" a few days ago so his tank could get all cycled and set for him.

Anyways, he's incredibly beautiful, and he has /quite/ the personality! He loves his new 10gal all to himself, and I'm sure he'll outgrow it soon! He's got a fun little fake coral roof to hide in, and a few plants and stuff. Anyways, I've been having a bit of time finding reliable information on their care; it seems every place I go has different information. Right now, I basically know that the water has to be anywhere from 65-85 degrees F, he'll eat anything from feeders, to crumbles, to frozen food, (Right now I have some brine shrimp and krill for him.) he needs slightly alkaline water (the pH is about 8 right now), medium hard water (about 120 at the moment), and that he's going to get up to a foot long, and live for a /long/ time. I'm not completely sure on the life span, though, the head guy at the pet store (who keeps a LOT of fish), told me he had one that got to be 11 inches and it lived for like 25 years.

Anyways, he's been imported from New Zealand and/or Australia, where they use them as a major food source, or so I'm told, and I'm almost 100% positive he's a Blue Knight Lobster. Some other sites suggested to me that he is not indeed a lobster, but a crayfish, but the fact that he's from Australia, where they use them for food, gives me the impression that the pet store wouldn't be wrong with that much, you know? Maybe if he was blue and from America...and besides, there are such things as blue lobsters (Hammar's Blue, right?), so I'm pretty sure he's a lobbie and not a cray. Either way, he's just beautiful, blues and purples with bright shiny eyes. I was reading some other threads on here that suggested to me that he was an Australian Redclaw? I honestly have no idea whatsoever, but the pictures of the Blue Knight Lobster look very similar to him. Hopefully one of you guys could help me in that department!

I'm in love with him already! Here's a few pictures of him, maybe you guys can tell me the breed for sure or just tell me what you think of him. Any other information is really appreciated as I don't know much. What diseases can they catch? One website said hardly any, but I have no idea. But lobsters are pretty hardy, right? So if I screw up a little as I'm learning he'll be okay. Oh, that reminds me, I need a name! I have no idea whether it's a girl or a boy (can anyone tell me how to check for that?), so send some suggestions! I like Nixon... Thanks!

Sorry the photos are low quality. I stink at aquarium photography.

lol i hope you are not in the uk. this is not a blue lobster ([size=-1]Cherax quadricarinatus) or australian redclaw. it may be a cherax sp.
20 uk gallons is about the minimum, tank size i would advise. they eat anything, but as they age they tend to move more to veg. temp of 17-25f is recommended, for these. but they do not do well in a tropical tank, they are prone to bacterial infection and keeping them above 20f will lead to a short life.

they are not too good with fish, lol. and should really be kept without a heater.

I'm not really sure why someone would avoid water changes, though cray are affected by nitrates in a different way to fish, they are still in need of clean water. and in the experience of myself and my colleagues water changes are still essential. though even with my fish, i top up evaporation, on a weekly basis. and do a 25% water change every month. all cray need well oxygenated water, so a spray bar, or moving the outlet of your filter above the water, is a must.
they are also expert at escape, so a well secure lid is also a must. if you like to view your cray, some form of moonlight is well worth it. as cray are most active at night.

apart from handling them, and keeping them with aggressive fish, not much can stress a cray.

you have joined a wonderful world if you keep cray, perhaps you should search for Crayfish specialists to help you on your way. avoid taking the advice of many commercial sites, often they really dont know what they are talking about.

keep us posted as to how you go!!
regards Tylor.
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[Stroker]

I got a name, how bout you name your new one Diner... I mean Danial, damn keyboard. Or you could call em Sniper, Chopper, Chops, Claws, Santa, Crusher, Pincher .... Read some comic books surely there's some Super Hero/Villian with claws that will inspire a name.