Blue Lobster Advice (again!)

[8inary]

not sure how much you know about the crayfish - so i am sorry if i am telling you something you already know: -

they shell every so often, and this can look like the cray itself and your first impression will be that it died, the only difference
between the live cray and the shell is that the cray has eyes, the shell doesnt - i have two blue ones and leave the shell in the tank,
as this is good for them, let them munch on it.

i also have sand and two caves for them, no plants as they snip these over time, also, cover your holes in the back of your tank...you know where the services go 'heater wire, filter, airpipe etc' as the cray will climb up and shimmy over to the holes, bit of duct tape helps here.

 

[heartworm]

not sure how much you know about the crayfish - so i am sorry if i am telling you something you already know: -

they shell every so often, and this can look like the cray itself and your first impression will be that it died, the only difference
between the live cray and the shell is that the cray has eyes, the shell doesnt - i have two blue ones and leave the shell in the tank,
as this is good for them, let them munch on it.

i also have sand and two caves for them, no plants as they snip these over time, also, cover your holes in the back of your tank...you know where the services go 'heater wire, filter, airpipe etc' as the cray will climb up and shimmy over to the holes, bit of duct tape helps here.

Yep I've been thinking about them for some time before getting one, luckily my tank has no holes in the back. He has plenty areas to hide in but i'm building a slate cave home for him now that I know the size it has to be. Do they continue to grow new shells even as adults?

He just devoured a couple of prawns,

 

[synodontisjack]

They don't shed as often when adults but will still shed, high calcium foods are a must especially after a shed. I recomend hikari crab cuisine

 

[heartworm]

They don't shed as often when adults but will still shed, high calcium foods are a must especially after a shed. I recomend hikari crab cuisine

I know there viscous little creatures, does include towards apple snails? I don't have any but I was considering it.

 

[synodontisjack]

Snails should be fine, harder the shell the better. I had convicts with crays succesfuly for a while until the cray shed and was eaten by the convicts. PM me if you have any further questions, i've had experience with a few species

 

[3ndl3r]

Apple snails could be ok, but i honestly don't recommend keeping anything with cray's.

 

[heartworm]

Apple snails could be ok, but i honestly don't recommend keeping anything with cray's.

So far no problems with my barbs, red tailed shark or plec. Ill update on any problems I have.

 

[raptorrex]

Give him time. Believe me. They will catch and eat ANYTHING they can. Definately your plec(s) mate.

As for eating habits. Anything goes. Prawns, whitebait, mussels, bottom feeder pellets, earthworms...

there is no reason a Cray should catch fish, though its true some do. cray are omnivores, in fact detrivores. eating rotting veg and animal life. if enough food is provided, and the fish kept are not a danger to the cray, (whilst there is no guarantee) people often find, Redclaw, cray live well with community fish.

Prawn, whitebait and all other "meat" foods, should be fed sparingly. and should in no way form the bulk of the cray diet. which should be Vegetable. if you want figures: 25-30% of its diet should be protein/meat and 60% veg the rest being fibre. A diet based as suggested in the post quoted, will lead to nothing more than a malnourished sickly cray! amd, quite possibly, an aggressive cray too.

They don't shed as often when adults but will still shed, high calcium foods are a must especially after a shed. I recomend hikari crab cuisine

none of the cray diet needs calcium. cray do not process calcium, via there food intake. all the crays calcium is absorbed through their shells/ carapace. providing the water is the right PH6.5 up, there is no need to add calcium to the water either. but a drop of aquarium iodine, around moult time is a good idea.

none of the fish heartworm suggests cause problems with cray, (again no guarantee) they are all fish i have kept successfully with Redclaw.

 

[heartworm]

He shed his shell for the first time last night, woke up to find his old shell under the filter, and he is hiding in a cave just now. Anything special to be added to the tank when this happens? His feelers look really long now, much longer than they were before.

 

[8inary]

just leave him to himself-will be in the cave until his new shell hardens - leave the old shell in the tank, he will eat this and its very good for him - just treat him as normal

 

[alexfish]

I have a Black Ghost Knife, Blue Lobster and a Catfish and they seem to get along just fine. Sometimes the Black Ghost will poke at the lobster a couple times and then swim away into his tube. Anyways I can not seem to get the Blue Lobster to eat any Brine Shrimp or Bloodworms. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Alex

 

[heartworm]

I have a Black Ghost Knife, Blue Lobster and a Catfish and they seem to get along just fine. Sometimes the Black Ghost will poke at the lobster a couple times and then swim away into his tube. Anyways I can not seem to get the Blue Lobster to eat any Brine Shrimp or Bloodworms. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Alex

I find mine does best eating with the lights off when it comes to his veg and bloodworm but when I put in shrimp he comes out straight away or it.

Since he outgrew his shell he has been much more active. He's started climbing on things again and wandering the tank. I just caught him doing a little gardening with an Amazon sword leaf plant that would apparently look better in his cave with him, I expect it to be gone in the morning. Since outgrowing his shell he is now at least 7.5" but think it may be more like 8. I just love watching him and want to get a blue light to simulate moonlight.

 

[Biggi]

not sure how much you know about the crayfish - so i am sorry if i am telling you something you already know: -

they shell every so often, and this can look like the cray itself and your first impression will be that it died, the only difference
between the live cray and the shell is that the cray has eyes, the shell doesnt - i have two blue ones and leave the shell in the tank,
as this is good for them, let them munch on it.

i also have sand and two caves for them, no plants as they snip these over time, also, cover your holes in the back of your tank...you know where the services go 'heater wire, filter, airpipe etc' as the cray will climb up and shimmy over to the holes, bit of duct tape helps here.

Hi there,

I'm new to the site, but found this topic while trying to find advice about my Lobster/Crayfish! He's started shelling (I think) and now he seems to spend alot of time in my tank just lying there and his tail all curled up. I'm worried he's dying! Is this normal?

Also, to anyone worried about him in a community tank, mine seems fine and I have Clown Loaches, a Common Plec, a baby Golden Nugget, 2 Shrimps, Congo Tetra's and more. I did have him in my other tank with Convicts and Sucking Loaches too and was always fine with them.

Anyway, hope someone can reassure me!

Biggi