# Is crab safe in Tanganyika fish tank



## Tanganyika Boy (Mar 7, 2006)

I wonder if crab could be kept in the tank with fish. Will it bit or eat the fish after the lights are off.


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## Guest (Jun 26, 2008)

Well there are crabs in Lake Tanganyika and every so often wild shrimp and crabs do get imported from the lake.

It really depends on what kind of crab and which cichlids...

~Ed


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## Windsor (Mar 17, 2008)

I got tempted today by some 'blue lobsters', errr.. 'small blue crayfish' that were smaller than my aquarium fish. I figured fish have to sleep, so the crayfish may nip a fin or two... Aside from that, my fish will get bigger and seeing as they love zooplankton, prawn and krill, they may see those crayfish a little more appetizing as time goes on!


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## harris4097 (Jun 12, 2008)

I have two crayfish in my hap tank and they've not been a prob with them, they did catch a sleeping syono multipunctatus and had a fair bit of his fin. The malawi's aren't interested in them and they're too fast for the crayfish ! the only time there's ever any issue is when i put prawns in for food and the crayfish gets hold of one and the malawi's try to snatch it from them. As long as there's enough rockwork it shouldn't be an issue


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## Dave (Feb 9, 2003)

harris4097 said:


> I have two crayfish in my hap tank and they've not been a prob with them, they did catch a sleeping syono multipunctatus and had a fair bit of his fin.


This is exactly the issue that can occur. The other is that when the crab/crayfish molts they are an easy meal for the fish. This is a risky venture, so be prepared that you could lose fish and/or your crab.


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## xdustyj (Apr 14, 2007)

*** had a few crabs in my tanks, and they always end up getting killed, there good untill they molt and their all soft.


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## tcw3 (May 6, 2008)

*** had two fiddler crabs in mine for almost two months now. I try to make sure i keep the fish nice and fed and the crabs have lots of places to hide. So far so good, oh and the crabs are nearly as big if not bigger than my cichilds so that may help also


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## Tanganyika Boy (Mar 7, 2006)

oic, thank you for all the above opinions.


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## Multies (Mar 9, 2007)

*** had some crayfish in my tanks, they ending up eating some of my fish..


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## Windsor (Mar 17, 2008)

I recently saw some Vampire Shrimp in my LFS. I was very tempted to buy them. They had them anywhere from 1-4". Most of my fish are around 3". Look them up if you get a chance. Instead of a claw, they have a spike on the end of their arms. From what I've read, they're too slow to do any harm to any fish. I'm very tempted... I mean, they are from Africa.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

I had crabs until they crawled out of the aquarium. Make sure that you have a tight lid! I also kept a crayfish in my mbuna tank for a year until the mbuna got big enough and ate him at his last molting. He was an inexpensive treat. The blue ones cost more I believe.


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## goldoccie21 (Jun 15, 2008)

the vampire shrimp is a filter feeder Atya gabonensis goto petshrimps.com and look at the species profile.


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