Is a crayfish a suitable addition to an african aquarium?

[southoak]

I've got a crawcoastrl today and was thinking of adding a crawfish to my 75 gallon tank. It's currently home to 3 clown loaches, and I'm curious to know if this would be a good idea.

[aquagone]

No, I wouldn't recommend it. I had a bad experience with crayfish, they decimated my neptunes and swordtails. They're super fast, especially at night when you're not watching.

[southoak]

No, I wouldn't recommend it. I had a bad experience with crayfish, they decimated my neptunes and swordtails. They're super fast, especially at night when you're not watching.

But will they leave my peacocks alone?

[aquagone]

I've got a crawcoastrl today and was thinking of adding a crawfish to my 75 gallon tank. It's currently home to 3 clown loaches, and I'm curious to know if this would be a good idea.

I still don't think it's a good idea, they're super fast at catching fish when you're not looking. They killed a lot of my fish, actually the whole tank.

[southoak]

No, I wouldn't recommend it. I had a bad experience with crayfish, they decimated my neptunes and swordtails. They're super fast, especially at night when you're not watching.

I was just curious about someone's experience with this, hoping to find someone who's tried it before to see how it went.

[detroit]

Most fish and crayfish don't mix well. Crayfish are nocturnal, so they're active at night when most fish are resting. This makes them an easy target, especially for bottom-dwellers that sleep near the substrate.

That being said, if you pair crayfish with large aggressive fish, the tables might turn. The crayfish could end up becoming a meal for the fish - a 'lobster/crayfish snack' so to speak.

Only top-dwelling fish that stay near the surface might be compatible with crayfish. These fish rarely venture down to the bottom, so they're less likely to cross paths with the crayfish. I know someone who keeps crayfish with top-dwelling fish and it seems to work out for them.

[southoak]

Most fish and crayfish don't mix well. Crayfish are nocturnal, so they're active at night when most fish are resting. This makes them an easy target, especially for bottom-dwellers that sleep near the substrate.

That being said, if you pair crayfish with large aggressive fish, the tables might turn. The crayfish could end up becoming a meal for the fish - a 'lobster/crayfish snack' so to speak.

Only top-dwelling fish that stay near the surface might be compatible with crayfish. These fish rarely venture down to the bottom, so they're less likely to cross paths with the crayfish. I know someone who keeps crayfish with top-dwelling fish and it seems to work out for them.

I'm still looking for someone who has mixed crayfish with Africans and loaches, and I'm curious how it turned out. Not with clown loaches, right?

[detroit]

No way, definitely not with clown loaches, they're bottom dwellers and will be the crayfish's next meal.

[southoak]

Most fish and crayfish don't mix well. Crayfish are nocturnal, so they're active at night when most fish are resting. This makes them an easy target, especially for bottom-dwellers that sleep near the substrate.

That being said, if you pair crayfish with large aggressive fish, the tables might turn. The crayfish could end up becoming a meal for the fish - a 'lobster/crayfish snack' so to speak.

Only top-dwelling fish that stay near the surface might be compatible with crayfish. These fish rarely venture down to the bottom, so they're less likely to cross paths with the crayfish. I know someone who keeps crayfish with top-dwelling fish and it seems to work out for them.

Thanks for the info, I was just curious about putting a crawfish in my tank since I'm having some today, didn't know if it'd work out.

[detroit]

By the way, you've got the Mexican Dwarf Crayfish which is a smaller species. But even with these, I wouldn't recommend keeping them with fish as they'll still strike whenever they get the chance. Some top level fish might come down to the bottom at night to sleep and become easy targets for the crayfish. Unless you're sure your fish won't sleep at the bottom, then maybe it's possible.

I had a Mexican crayfish that tried to attack my Balloon Pearl Gourami, so I had to remove it. Crayfish are beautiful, though...LOL.