Scats

[newfiegirl]

Hello all,
I am new to this forum. I actually used to have a brackish tank but changed it over to full marine about 3 months ago when my crayfish killed everything in my tank except my scat. I knew that they go full marine as the mature so, I took it as an opportunity. Anyway, The transition went great, and he seemed happier then ever. I introduced a cleaner shrimp to the tank and the scat LOVES him. Follows him around all the time wanting to get cleaned. Even opens his mouth to let the shrimp clean inside. The scats head is now a bright yellow, while the rest of his body (which doesn't get cleaned) is much duller.
Anyway, none of that really matters in my question, except that around the same time that the shrimp was introduced, the scat seemed to turn nocturnal. Maybe because thats when the shrimp is most active? Or do they all go nocturnal after a while?
oh, my tank is a 55 gallon. I know thats the smaller end of what a scat would need, but when I researhed it, the site I used and the LFS said it was fine. It wasn't till I started talking to people that I realized they need as much room as they can get. He is about 2inches right now and I plan to upgrade my tank within 6 months, so, he should be fine for now I think.
Thanks guys, Any info on these guys that you think I should know is appreciated.

I was going to add a pic of my scat getting cleaned but have no idea how.

 

[dilbert]

I know only the cleaner shrimps to some extent. They don't really sleep but have times where they are rather inactive during the day and during night as well.

That's good habits as the crayfish might be after them as well. The scats might be nocturnal as the crayfish might be nocturnal, too. When the crayfish wanders around at night to attack sleeping fish the scat is awake to avoid the crayfish. When the crayfish is hiding during the day the scat finds some time to rest a little.

Only an assumption, I never had any crayfish or scats.

I would keep the crayfish well fed to lower the risk for the other livestock in the tank. A well fed crayfish may become too lazy to molest others in the end.

 

[mrbudgie]

My scat is not nocturnal at all and is always swimming round my six foot tank with his best mate the giant gourami (who is 3 times his size)

and also strangely enough my scat lives very well in a normal tropical tank which he has been in since being very small eats well, nice and active and the colours are very bright and beautiful (i'll try grab a pic of him later)

goes to show how hardy this species is.

thanks ian

 

[newfiegirl]

Thanks guys,
I actually brought the darling serial killing crayfish back to the store. Decide he wasn't worth the risk. He wasnt even eating the fish, just killing them.