blue lobster + rainbows?

[MyraVan]

I love the looks of a blue lobster (Cherax quadricarinatus), although I have never kept crayfish before. I also love the looks of rainbowfish, although I have enver kept them before. Since both come from Oz, and are colorful and unusual (around here anyway) I thought that they would make a nice tank.

I have read that the lobsters can eat small fish, or slow fish, but an adult rainbowfish (I was thinking the larger ones, like Boesman's or Banded) are neither slow nor small. Would they be OK with the lobster?

And what if any algae eater would work with the lobster? Is there any way you can have the tank planted, since the lobsters like to dig?

[fishbguy]

the rainbows should be fine. they will eat rainbow size fish but only if they can catch them. so slow fish are out. the rainbows, i think, would be fine. they are not going to hunt the fish down.

i would not go with a planted tank with them. I've never owned a lobster before, just crayfish, and IME, they will eat plants. you could try it with some cheap live plants for starters just to see. If you provide them with a cave or some drift wood that they can hide in and under, they shouldn't bury them selves elsewhere.

i can't think of any algae eaters ATM. i would prolly try larger fish that aren't slow swimmers. SAE, CAE, and flying foxes come to mind. as do BNP's cause of their "armor" so it might protect them.

How big of a tank are youplanning on? that would help with algae eaters for the tank.

Andrew

[MyraVan]

Thanks, fishbguy. I was thinking 180 liters or more. Er, that's about 47 gallons. It would be 1 meter long, to give the rainbows plenty of swimming space.

SAE! Of course, that's the answer! My local shop even has some... And rainbowfish too. Just need to convince them to order me in a blue lobster.

(Well, first things firstm: must convince hubby that we need another tank.)

[fishbguy]

(Well, first things firstm: must convince hubby that we need another tank.)

Good Luck!! i have to do the same thing with my mom. "No, no more tanks. why do we need another tank?" "Because, there are so many different fish out there. the ones i want are so colorful and easy to care for, they are really cheap too!" "not gonna happen" "but mom"....

Blue lobsters aren't that hard to come by. my lfs always has one but it is eally expensive. $24.00 US. i have no clue how many pounds that is. if they can't get you a blue lobster, take a look at zebra lobsters. those are really cool looking as well.

[Apotheosis]

Yea, don't worry about the rainbows. They stay in the middle of the water column, whereas the blue lobster will stay on the bottom. Just make sure he doesn't have access to them (like tall plants that he could climb up on and possibly snag a rainbowfish). He probably wouldn't be able to catch any though because of their speed.

[FishieNewbie]

i recently got rid of my blue lobster who was about 7 inches long because,he had eaten nearly 50$ in fish. it ate, 1 corydora,1tuxedoplaty,4 rainbow threadfins,3rasboras,1 glasscatfish,1 and a half loaches and about 30 ghost shrimp, i kept him very well fed and even hand fed him now and then,the best advice i can give you is to do your own research as to wha your going to put with it as most pet stores well tell you anything so be careful, also i found my lobster to be very messy and was doing 1/4 water changes every week

[Corydora_FREAK]

And what if any algae eater would work with the lobster?

No plecos or corydoras. And NEVER go with CAE when they grow up they are predatory and Extremely aggressive, i never recommend them

[FishieNewbie]

We eneded up getting rid of the lobster , but still have the cory and the pleco