Keep seeing these online and a number of online retailers stating that they are suitable for a community tank
that they are too slow to catch fish and will only eat dead or dying fish
has anyone kept them in a community tank?
is it a recepie for disaster?
you say "blue Crayfish" do you know the species? (vital this as most North American cray, are utterly hopeless for this job)
so, if you have an "Electric Blue" P.Allani,, its a none starter.
however if you have an "Blue Lobster"
Cherax quadricarinatus perhaps.
either way, as a new Cray keeper. its"a recipe for disaster".
they are, by no means, "too slow to catch fish".
but, its true, they do only eat the sick and dying. ( or should if they are kept right.)
Crayfish are not carnivores (indeed they share, broadly, similar dietary requirements as a common pleco)
their diet should be of over ripe/rotting veg. supplemented by careful feeding of low fat meats (roast chicken breast, or the like.).
they will eat Algae wafers, catfih pellets and flake. but in reality they eat almost anything past its best.
there is good evidence cray like fresh meat. but this is made up of snails, worms and insect lave.
they do not hunt uless they are taught too. ie only fed feeder fish.
whilst it does seem that it is practical to keep cray in a community (i do).
both fish and cray need the correct environment, prior to the attempt.
so, if you have a stocked fully mature tank (of 50 gallons, or more). rough rule of thumb 2 years of stability. with no fish younger than 1 year.
and have a crayfish you have kept, on its own, for 1 year or so. (my experience says they need to be females.
maybe, just maybe, it might work.
but then, maybe, just maybe. you end up with fish soup!
