# Blue Crayfish in Cichlid tank??



## kipper

Hello.. I was wondering if you can add a blue crayfish with Africans... or will they kill it? I have heard 2 sides... One was they will kill the crayfish everytime because it's like food to them or... will the crayfish kill the fish? :-?


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## Nathan43

I have one with a couple severums, HRP's, 2 yo yo's, a jewel, and a firemouth and no one seems to bother it. It is only about 3 inches now which is the average size of the fish. But this combination has only been going a couple months now. I will get back to you as time progresses.


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## css virginia

Isn't the Blue Crayfish the more costly one..??..at least from what I have seen in the LFS they were..!! I wouldn't place a costly one in a cichlid tank--They crayfish that I have purchased were $1.49--1.69 for each one and I have bought a number of them-some escaped-others were..well...you know...  ..Only one has--survived-- --and is now appx. 6 inches in length and in my 125g. tank. (was appx. 1.5" when bought)


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## TheFishGuy

The crayfish will kill and eat what it can if it's large, but when it molts it's irresistable to cichlids and they will enjoy eating him.

So in short, no


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## Nathan43

If there is enough caves for him to do that, would it be okay?


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## TheFishGuy

Here's the thing about cichlids. They're adaptive,persistent, smart, and stubborn. Would want to try and hide from something with those characteristics? It's just not a good idea. Give the crayfish his own small tank with lots of hiding spots and you'll be much happier for it.


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## Toby_H

Fish don't have a whole lot of entertainment in an aquarium... and there isn't much that is more entertaining to a Cichlid than hunting a possible meal...

Like TFG said... they are adaptive, persistent, smart, and stubborn... And I would like to add bored...

I wouldn't trust a crayfish around my smaller/younger fish... and I wouldn't trust the rest of my fish around an expensive crayfish...


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## Nathan43

Makes sense, If I put him in my ten gallon convict fry tank, would that be sufficient? That way if he eats them, no biggie.


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## kipper

So..the general thought on this is...give him his own tank? I was hoping they could live happly together lol I just wanted to have a little something different of that type in the tank also. The cichlids are great! very pretty just kinda boring lol. :?


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## tonyh67

Is this what you're talking about: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... catid=1641. I've been thinking about putting one of these in with my Africans.


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## kipper

Your link didn't work.. If your talking about a blue lobster or blue crayfish either one.. The africans will kill it most likley. I tried he last for one day......!


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## ashilli48

Usually the sites trying to sell you a blue cray or lobster will say it is docile and won't attack.

My basic experience: the lobster will hunt the fish while they sleep. The fish will hunt the lobster while he sleeps and or molts.

There is also the boredom and the mob mentality. My Afircans have always slaughtered anything that gets picked on and runs. They are like Dobermans, chase (and maul if you have a BAD dog  ) anything that runs.


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## goldtopper

Put him in with a puffer and watch the gladiators battle!


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## ashilli48

Back before I knew what I was doing (still a topic of debate  ) I kept a crayfish in with a mixed Malawi tank. One day I was at my favorite LFS and just had to have a figure eight and a spotted puffer. Well in they went with the Mbunas, etc. (clueless) Not 8 hours went by before one of the puffers got a little too close to the crayfish doing his best Danielson Karate Kid pose, and wham, suddenly the puffer is flying around the tank with the crayfish completely wrapped around him. Well this sent the Malawis into a frenzy. Well it was mayhem for about a minute or so until I sent the wrestlers back to their corners.

Then I found cichlid-forum and learned better how to act as a fishkeeper! LOL!


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## MetalHead06351

> The cichlids are great! very pretty just kinda boring lol.


Depending on the size of your tank, you could try something from the polypterus family. Very entertaining and unique, but the smaller ones still get a foot long.


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## SinisterKisses

There are two species of "electric blue" crayfish commonly sold at stores, and 99.9% of the general public probably can't tell them apart. Especially at the small size stores sell them at.

The first is P. alleni. It is the smaller of the two species, reaching about 5" or so as an adult. They are also the more peaceful species, but crayfish eat fish, it's natural, and most cichlids will eat crayfish.

The second, my favorite, is C. quadricarinatus - or the Australian Red Claw. These guys get big and mean! Males easily reach about 10-12" and are highly, highly aggressive. Definitely NOT something you want in with fish of any kind unless they're food. Again though, once the cray molts, it would be an all-you-can-eat buffet for the cichlids.

In sum, crayfish should not be kept with fish if you value the life of either the cray or the fish. My pair are alone in a 20gal tank, and they are much happier there than they would ever be with fish in the tank.


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## Stevie Wong

In my personal expierience with keeping crayfish it depends on the additude of the fish and additude of the Crayfish.I have had crayfish that are totally peaceful and had others that would kill every opportunity they can I say if you are going to mix the two make sure of the following
The cichlid spends most time near the top because crayfish and the fish have as little clashes as possible

Also make sure to choose a fast moving non lazy fish in the event they don't get along make sure to choose a fish that is quick enough to escape the crayfishes range in the event of a conflict

Third of all this might go without saying but make sure the crayfish is large enough to not fit in any of the fishes mouthes

I wish you luck and let me know how it goes


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## GuitarShark

I wouldn't risk it.


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## sandrock

I wouldn't risk it personally, like others have said one will end up hunting the other.
I would also like to throw a curveball into the mix and give you another thing to consider. when crayfish get older they need to have either a crayfish food or an iodine supplement in the water to help them shed. how would the fish react to an iodine supplement ? feeding a crayfish food may increase the mbuna's chance of getting bloat if it is too high in meat based protein.
I would set up a species tank if I were going too kep them but its your tank if you do get one just keep a close eye and be prepared to remove it at the first sign of trouble.


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