Vanilla 'lobster'

[Alisa12345]

So it says on this here site that my crayfish is an omnivoure. Will I have to get her some feeder fish to eat as well as plants? Also, what should I do to help her molt when she does and how often do they molt?

 

[2211Nighthawk]

Negative on the feeders, what I would truly call them is scavengers. Throw in some blood worms, shrimp pellets, that kinda stuff and that will do. For veggies, you can try fresh, I have a crab that LOVES spinach, but alge wafers work too. They’ll clean up scrap fish flakes as well. Too often feeders have disease.

 

[Alisa12345]

Negative on the feeders, what I would truly call them is scavengers. Throw in some blood worms, shrimp pellets, that kinda stuff and that will do. For veggies, you can try fresh, I have a crab that LOVES spinach, but alge wafers work too. They’ll clean up scrap fish flakes as well. Too often feeders have disease.

Ok thank you so much!

 

[Rtessy]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if that is one of the vanilla lobsters from Petco/PetSmart, it's not a crayfish... It will grow to around 14 inches and need a 55 gallon tank to itself, and they are very aggressive. If you want to do feeders (it may require it once it grows) you could try having a side tank and breed stuff like Rosy red minnows as feeders, or maybe some feeder guppies, or even convict cichlids, those breed like nuts. Personally I can't handle feeders, I'm too squeamish, and there probably are good alternatives.

 

[Alisa12345]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if that is one of the vanilla lobsters from Petco/PetSmart, it's not a crayfish... It will grow to around 14 inches and need a 55 gallon tank to itself, and they are very aggressive. If you want to do feeders (it may require it once it grows) you could try having a side tank and breed stuff like Rosy red minnows as feeders, or maybe some feeder guppies, or even convict cichlids, those breed like nuts. Personally I can't handle feeders, I'm too squeamish, and there probably are good alternatives.

If she is not a crayfish what is she then?

 

[2211Nighthawk]

If she is not a crayfish what is she then?

True lobster. Crayfish stay small. Stores like to interchange “lobster” and “crayfish” to make it sound better.

 

[Rtessy]

If you have the space for a 55 they are truly interesting, but I'd rather you find out now that it'll get too big... I'm sorry. If you get a 10g, you could do 3 dwarf Mexican crayfish or one dwarf blue crayfish (a bit debated on tank size, but it'll be fine)

 

[Alisa12345]

If you have the space for a 55 they are truly interesting, but I'd rather you find out now that it'll get too big... I'm sorry. If you get a 10g, you could do 3 dwarf Mexican crayfish or one dwarf blue crayfish (a bit debated on tank size, but it'll be fine)

I will be building a raised pond this summer (most likely going to be 100 gallons) will I be able to put my pink kissing gourami, common pleco, and my lobster in there?

 

[Rtessy]

I will be building a raised pond this summer (most likely going to be 100 gallons) will I be able to put my pink kissing gourami, common pleco, and my lobster in there?

No, they'll really try to catch and kill whatever they can. Even if you try it and don't see aggression, don't let it fool you because they will go after your fish at night. I'm really sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

 

[Alisa12345]

No, they'll really try to catch and kill whatever they can. Even if you try it and don't see aggression, don't let it fool you because they will go after your fish at night. I'm really sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

But she's been living with my pink kisser and pleco for about a week now and she hasn't tried to snatch any of them even at night

 

[Rtessy]

The bigger she gets, the more aggressive she'll get. Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time until she tries to go after them

 

[BlueLobster]

Crayfish never get over 10 inches long. Ever.

 

[Rtessy]

Right, the vanilla lobster is a full fledged lobster, not a crayfish. And dang, I didn't know crayfish could get over six inches to be honest, that's crazy.

 

[BlueLobster]

There is no vanilla lobster. All lobsters are saltwater. All crayfish are freshwater. A vanilla or ghost lobster is in fact a crayfish with a max size of 6 to 7 inches.

 

[Neutral-Waterinos]

Right, the vanilla lobster is a full fledged lobster, not a crayfish. And dang, I didn't know crayfish could get over six inches to be honest, that's crazy.

Wow just searched it up, you weren't kidding. In Australia we already get bloody marron which grow up to 38cms kinda like the Yabby's bigger brother. Speaking about yabbies they are freaking water rats around here, you can pick up electric blue ones for $4 a piece.

 

[Rtessy]

I'll admit, I don't have personal experience with these, but everyone who has owned them has told me that they're not ghost crayfish and they reach an average of 12-14 inches. Heck, the employees told me they had one reach 16 inches, though I don't know if I believe that. Also, there are actually many species of purely freshwater crayfish that get well over 10 inches, such as the Murray which can reach 12 inches, or the Tasmanian Giant crayfish, which can get over 30 inches.

 

[Rtessy]

Wow just searched it up, you weren't kidding. In Australia we already get bloody marron which grow up to 38cms kinda like the Yabby's bigger brother. Speaking about yabbies they are freaking water rats around here, you can pick up electric blue ones for $4 a piece.

Dang, if I could get them for that price I would have soooo many. They're $16-20 locally for me, even the tiny Mexican dwarf ones are 18. Also, I guess I was wrong about them not being the ghost crayfish, thanks for the correction.

 

[Neutral-Waterinos]

I'll admit, I don't have personal experience with these, but everyone who has owned them has told me that they're not ghost crayfish and they reach an average of 12-14 inches. Heck, the employees told me they had one reach 16 inches, though I don't know if I believe that. Also, there are actually many species of purely freshwater crayfish that get well over 10 inches, such as the Murray which can reach 12 inches, or the Tasmanian Giant crayfish, which can get over 30 inches.

Oh ye, I heard about the Tazzie Cray apparently last I heard they were nearly extinct. Tasmania makes some excellent salmon as a side note too : P. It seems the colder the waters are down south the things take Longer to grow but grow Bigger the mussels they grow down there get really big. Do you live in the states? I don't get how they manage to ship it from here over to there??? Are these common in the states? I've never ever heard of them here.

 

[Neutral-Waterinos]

Dang, if I could get them for that price I would have soooo many. They're $16-20 locally for me, even the tiny Mexican dwarf ones are 18. Also, I guess I was wrong about them not being the ghost crayfish, thanks for the correction.

Woah, $16 dollars a piece? Christ, fifty cents a piece over here, absolute water rats . I wish I could get my hands on some of that dwarf mexican crayfish, the yabbies can kill your fish if your not careful but they generally don't if they are well fed, but the mexican seems too small for that and their orange looks amazing. They do however look like they would be a rather delicate crayfish, but it would suck if they ate my shrimp haha.

 

[Rtessy]

The Tazzies are not at all common, I don't think they're even legal to be honest, I was just trying to give an example of a big crayfish. Yeah I'm in the states, and our version of Gumtree is Craigslist, and I've seen some seriously illegal wet pets being sold lol. Maybe I could get one off of it.... lol. Dang 50¢! That's crazy. I know they go for a lot less on aquabid, but still like $4-6 each... speaking of, I know some people will ship internationally from aquabid.com you might be able to get some off of there. I think the dwarfs do eat shrimp, but also people will keep three or so in a ten alone and breed them, and since you don't seem to have a supply of them, that could be a good operation (if they're legal).