Today when I saw the crayfish looks some weird to me. It’s bigger now as it moult last night. The exoskeleton was lying looking like a dead crayfish. It is amazing how this animals grows.
If I turn the light on it blinks the eyes. For today it will be better with the light off.
The blue crayfish seems to contaminate the water a lot. The water in the 20 gallon tank was unclear and smells. One factor that may be important is that we removed from that tank a plecostomus and 3 corydoras, which help to clean.
We thought days ago to separate it due it violent behavior. We got gravel (white) and some stones to suit the crayfish in the small 10 gallon tank. I was thinking to do that tomorrow but this night I heard a splash and when I look at the 20 gallon tank the crayfish had a angel fish grabbed from the dorsal fin (upside down), as the fish tried to escape the lobster tear all it fin, the fish swim away dizzy, staying in a odd position for a while. It probably was half sleep as the crayfish try to get it. I turn on the light and feed them to make them go to the surface.
I set up the small aquarium right away and now I’m finishing of clean the 20 gallon tank. Tomorrow pictures.
After putting the crayfish in the 20 gallon (80 Lt) tank the crayfish was behaving for few days. They angelfish laid eggs on a leaf. Sadly I wasn’t prepared to breed those so I let them go. 80% of the eggs spawn and a little tale could be seen moving on each eggs.
The crayfish then start removing some plants, the ones I just put last week, that have weak roots. And making holes everywhere. The water also is getting dirtier that with the other fish. The absence of the Plecostomus has all the plants growing algae on it.
The Blue Crayfish don’t attack the angelfish at all. But I will have to remove it because is damaging the tank.
In a 10 gallon (40 Lt) with just stones it will be better. I may consider to add some cichlids. I have read that they do well. (Anglefish are cichlids too)
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.
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".
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.
