# Eletric Blue Lobster/Crayfish



## madfeelso (Jan 28, 2010)

Hi all, I am new to the forum.
I recently started a 10 gallon fresh water tank. I got 2 glass fish, 2 hatchet fish and 1 otocinclus so far. I went to the pet store today and saw this really cool eletric blue lobster, so I decided to take it home. And most of you probably know what happen. Yes, it started to attack my otocinclus like crazy literally 10 minutes after I put it into the tank. so my question is
1. Will keeping it full stop it from attacking other fish?
2. Is there some sort of cage that I can buy to trap the lobster in and keep everything in the same tank?
2. Are my glass fish safe?

Thank you all in advance :-D


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I'm sorry, but the answer to all 3 questions in no. In a 10 gallon, the crayfish will eventually eat every fish. Then it'll escape and die. I would return it if I were you, or get it it's own 20 gallon tank. A 10 gallon is too small to contain a crayfish. They are master escape artists.


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## madfeelso (Jan 28, 2010)

Well, I am not trying to challenge you here. The hatchets swim at a pretty high water level and as far as i see, the crayfish cant even swim to the mid level. How can it eat the fish?


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## Kelso (Oct 28, 2009)

Trust me...they can swim easily enough. I've seen freshwater crustaceans, including my own swim through all levels of the tank...even upside down to get food floating at the surface.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

madfeelso said:


> Well, I am not trying to challenge you here. The hatchets swim at a pretty high water level and as far as i see, the crayfish cant even swim to the mid level. How can it eat the fish?


It hunts they while they sleep. At first it'll miss and the fish will get away. You'll notice their tailfins are shredded. Once that happens, the fish is much slower and can't get away as easily. In a 10 gallon, a very high percentage of the tank is within the crayfish's reach, unless you just leave the tank empty without any decor.

Also, the fish will be highly stressed having a predator in the tank with them, disrupting their sleep with it's nightly attacks. That stress will weaken them and possibly make them sick, and that's when the cray catches them.


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## madfeelso (Jan 28, 2010)

Awesome. Thanks for the very clear explanation 
I guess I am returning it tomorrow......
Also, what other cool creature such as the crayfish would you recommend to raise in my tank?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

You could get a dwarf crayfish. They stay under 2 inches and aren't big enough to take a fish, excepy maybe neons. I keep one in a 5 gallon with a betta and a mystery snail. Chances are you'll have to order them online. I got mine from aquabid.


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## Angel079 (Feb 14, 2007)

I can only back up what was said before; no blue lobster in a 10g and no fish with him and no group of hachets in a 10g.
The only thing you could house ONE par of in a 10g is Camballus patzuarensis orange (CPOs) with small fish that'll suit the tank size and your water parameters!


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## LMychajluk (Jan 27, 2010)

I saw a "Hammer Cobalt Blue Lobster", which only grows to ~4". Would you still consider this guy to be too agressive with tankmates (LiveAquaria says they typically won't bother fish)? How about in a larger (40-50g) tank?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

LMychajluk said:


> I saw a "Hammer Cobalt Blue Lobster", which only grows to ~4". Would you still consider this guy to be too agressive with tankmates (LiveAquaria says they typically won't bother fish)? How about in a larger (40-50g) tank?


Same as the regular ones, it depends on the tankmates and on the tank size. The problem with keeping a cray in a 10 gallon with tankmates is that the crayfish is ALWAYS just around the corner, and it's not good for fish to be perpetually hunted. In a larger tank this would not be as much of an issue, but again it depends on the tankmates. Another reason, that I forgot to mention, that barbs are such great crayfish tankmates is because they have a little chip on their shoulder. I'm not saying cherry barbs are aggressive, but they are barbs and have a certain.....tenacity. While they respect the cray, they aren't afraid of it. Tank mates that fear the crayfish will get stressed by it and develop problems.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Your poor hatchets are under considerable stress from several things, one of which is being only two in number. Hatchets are, like almost all characins (tetras, hatchets, pencilfish), shoaling fish that live in large groups. A minimum of 5 but preferably more will allow them to interact and feel "safe". Shoaling fish that are alone of only 2 or 3 feel constantly under threat because their natural instinct is to be with a group for security and interaction. 

I don't know which species you have, there are three genera and the species in Carnegiella are smaller and 5 or 6 would be OK in a 10g, but not with any sort of predator fish/crustacean that adds more stress. Try to imagine how you would feel day after day if you had a bully standing outside your house and following you everywhere; even if he never "attacked" the fact that he is constantly near is enough to keep you in constant fear and stress. And in fish, stress leads to innumerable health problems and guaranteed shorter life--not any different than in humans actually.

None of us can just buy a fish we see and thinki is "neat", you have to know the fish and what it needs to be healthy, and be able to provide that as a responsible aquarist.

Byron.


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