Blue Lobsters?

Midwife33 · Jul 17, 2007

I have noticed Blue Lobsters for sale in a lot of LFS recently. I assume these would not do well in a community tank?? :no:

I overheard a sales assistant recommending them to a customer for her community tank, saying they would always take it back if it got too big :lol:

Lisaxx

*Fishkies* · Jul 17, 2007

Here is an article on Blue Lobsters. They are literally one in a million. I would never add one of those guys to my community tank. They would eat all my nice fishies that cost me lots of money to care for...haha :fun:

. I think i spend more money on my fish then me sometimes.....nope all the time. :nod:

Midwife33 · Jul 17, 2007

*Fishkies* said:
Here is an article on Blue Lobsters. They are literally one in a million. I would never add one of those guys to my community tank. They would eat all my nice fishies that cost me lots of money to care for...haha . I think i spend more money on my fish then me sometimes.....nope all the time.

They look nowt like the 'blue' lobsters on sale :hyper:

They did have a big one that a customer had returned in another tank which was a blue colour, but nothing like the one in your link!!!

Lisaxx

raptorrex · Jul 18, 2007

*Fishkies* said:
Here is an article on Blue Lobsters. They are literally one in a million. I would never add one of those guys to my community tank. They would eat all my nice fishies that cost me lots of money to care for...haha . I think i spend more money on my fish then me sometimes.....nope all the time.

first off that is seawater lobster. and secondly Blue Lobster or Crayfish are far from rare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the blue is a genetic aberration, much like Ginger hair in humans, and about as rare.

the Blue Lobster/Crayfish is in fact the Australian Redclaw Cherax quadricarinatus. a search under my name will give plenty of pictures. It is the only truly Tropical Crayfish, and the only one that can be kept in the uk.

they can be kept in a tank on their own, i would say a minimum of 20ukg. but if properly introduced, they also live in community's. and i am not the only one here who does. however there is a fair amount of luck in this, as the temperament of the Cray is important. They are not the murdering hunters their appearance suggests. though omnivorous they, in nature live off mainly dead and rotting plants. but sick and dying fish also go down well. it will need lots of places to hide, caves, tubes and the like. live plants will be destroyed in quick time, and the tank will re scape itself over night. the only real rule for them is well oxygenated water!!!! i can not stress this enough. if you have a Crayfish who is always escaping, this may be your problem. Tannins also help chill the Crayfish, if truth be known fish like it just as much, so perhaps a review of how you like your tank to look may be in order.
If kept on their own, water changes can be a rare thing. topping up being the most people seem to do, with a complete water change every 6 months or so. that said they really do need a mature tank, or at least a fully and well cycled one.

Be warned though, these thing get under your skin, and can soon take over your hobby. all in all a fine addition to anybody's collection.

madness · Jul 18, 2007

ive got one in my community tank and its going ive notice 9 neons go missing lstely and this morning i caught it eating my adf its going quite upset through as it was very intresting to watch they arent the brightest of animals

Midwife33 · Jul 18, 2007

I was tempted cause my kids were oohing and ahhing at them

but I resisted cause I don't know enough about them. I did accept a large catfish from my ex but almost immediately my small fish (neons and the like) began vanishing. So its now gone to live in my friends tank with her 2 enormous Oscars :lol:

Lisaxx

raptorrex · Jul 18, 2007

lol this is the experience of many people! but without meaning any offence to anyone, it was the way these critters were introduced to the tank that was the main fault, though not every Cray will take to a community. if done properly, and with some luck, things can go better.

darkwolf29a · Jul 18, 2007

I just had to get rid of my cray.

She went native, honestly. She stopped accepting food of any type, but live. She killed off 3 fish, they were quite ok the day before. I had good luck with her for awhile though, and she was a doll until she snapped. That's only way I can describe it, really.
She's happy now, I hope. She's at a guy's house, in his pond. There's lots of sih in there, so if she eats a few...it shouldn't be an issue. LOL

STD · Aug 10, 2007

Does anyone know how safe they are in a planted tank - are they likely to uproot my plants?

Also my tank has been treated for whitespot and I wandered how susceptible they would be to a copper based treatment