Crayfish eating algae wafer

The Blue Crayfish eating a algae disk in the quarantine tank.

Thanksgiving acquisitions

The tanks need some new plants so last Friday we went to Decatur, Al to visit some stores. Sadly we didn’t find any real aquarium plant. In PetCo and PetSmat they only sells mondo grass and other NON aquarium plants. We will have to get them online. I would like some long vallisnerias and some more swords that grow so well in our tanks.

Michelle liked a Blue crayfish (Procambarus alleni) so we got it for $21.60. We pick 4 Blue Blue Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) and 2 Three-Lined Cory (Corydoras trilineatus), this last listed as “spoted corys” in PetCo.

We put the new fish and crayfish in a small 10 gallon tank for quarantine for some days. The crayfish seems to attack when other fish come closer, so we separated the 2 corydoras and we add them already to the 55 gallon tank. They seems to be in very good shape.

We moved the plecostomus and the 3 corydoras in the 2o gallon tank and we add them to the 55 gallon tank as well, so the crayfish can be alone with the two anglefish in the 22 gallon aquarium. But if we see that the crayfish damage any gourami we will conceder to keep it alone in the 10 gallon tank.

Blue Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

 

Also: Three Spot Gourami, Opaline Gourami.

Family: Osphronemidae

Characteristic: 5 inches (12 cm),females smaller with rounded fins.

Tank and water: 42 Gallons (160 Liters), Ph 5.5 - 9.5, 72 - 81°F (22 - 27°C)

Care:  In aquariums filled with many structures. They like floating plants, loose plantings along the sides and roots. Feed flaked foods, especially green flakes. They like various live and frozen foods. Place only one pair in 3.5 ft (1-m) tanks.

Habits: Often found in standing, many times cloudy waters in Indonesia and Malaysia. They can be found in rice fields as well.

Compatibility:  With Asian bottom fish (loaches, catfish) and calm barbs, danios, and rasboras.

Personal note: The males can chase each other. They are peaceful and like to touch each other with their fins which look like downward pointing "antennas".

Three-Lined Cory (Corydoras trilineatus)

Also: Corydoras julii

Family: Callichthyid armored catfish. Callichthyidae.

Characteristic: 2.4 inches (6 cm),females are plumper.

Tank and water: 15 Gallons (56.8 Liters), Ph 5.5 - 8.5, 77 - 83°F (25 - 28°C)

Care: Keep in groups in your aquarium. They like sandy substrates in parts and loose plantings. They appreciate structures for resting areas. Feed with live, frozen and dry food or you can use Corydoras food.

Habits: Sociable fish with their kind and from the soft-bottomed expanses of water in the Peruvian Amazon region.

Compatibility:  Ideal companion fish for South American fish of the middle and upper regions. In small tanks but do not keep with cichlids.

Personal note: These fish are active cleaners and enjoy spending time together in groups with others of the corydora family. They are quite entertaining to watch.

Blue crayfish (Procambarus alleni)

Also: Florida crayfish

Family: Cambaridae.

Characteristic: Male has two extra short appendages at the rear of the back legs. Female has none. In the aquarium can grow up 5 inch (13 cm).

Tank and water: 20 Gallons (75.7 Liters), Ph 7 -7.5, 65 - 75°F (18.3 - 23.9°C)

Care: They like to burrow and hide in caves. They can live in the aquarium, as long as there are not other bottom dwellers or expensive fish. These creatures are scavengers as well as hunters. They clean up the bottom the tank, but will also grab at a passing fish too. They too can be eaten by fish. A large oscar, for example, would consider it for lunch. When they molt their protective shell they are vulnerable to smaller fish also.
Crayfish are great escape artists and will try to climb out of the tank, so any holes in the hood should be covered.
Feed food which is high in Iodine as this helps it moult. Kelp tablets are one source.

Illness: It can be affected by a leach worm kind called Branchiobdellida. This is not dangerous for the crayfish and can be removed rinsing and scrubbing with a soft toothbrush under tank temperature water.

Compatibility: With any medium size fish.

Personal note: