Finding the right blue crayfish tank mates isn’t always easy. And for beginning crayfish keepers, it might not be easy at all.
Sometimes people starting out with a pet crayfish lose a number of fish simply because they pick tank mates that just don’t work well with crayfish. That’s because if you know anything about blue crayfish or crayfish period, they love to eat fish of any kind. That means live, dead, it doesn’t really matter to them.
In short, blue crayfish are aggressive little omnivores and will eat your other fish. The trick is to select the right types of fish to live in the fish tank with your crayfish.
In this blog I’ll discuss:
- Freshwater fish that won’t work with your crayfish
- Fish that will work with your pet crayfish
- Fish tank size for your crayfish
- Keeping multiple crayfish
- Molting
Blue Crayfish Tank Mates: Fish that Definitely Won’t Work!
Unless you are just looking to feed your blue crayfish a little treat, waste money or just watch things (fish) disappear, I suggest not putting any bottom feeders or slow-moving fish in your tank. They will not make good blue crayfish tank mates.
Not because they will fight exactly, but because your blue crayfish will simply eat any fish it can get its hands, I mean claws on.
This would include betta fish, shrimp, snails, the plecostomus, and anything of the sort. These types of aquatic life may make it for a little bit, but in time there is a very good chance a blue crayfish will eat them.
Check Out the Most Popular Freshwater Fish for Your Aquarium
Blue Crayfish Tank Mates that You’ll Have Better Luck with
So you have a fish tank, err, crayfish tank (I recommend at least a 20-gallon tank.) Well, you probably don’t want your tank to be a lonely place for your pet blue crayfish. That means you will need to get the little dude some friends.
Note: Although a 20-gallon fish tank will work for a crayfish, you will be limited to the types of fish and the number of fish you can keep.
You have to be sure to get the right blue crayfish tank mates. If you don’t, your blue friend might just end up eating all of his “friends.” What kind of friend is that?
The type of tank mates you will want are fish that can swim fast and fish that swim near the middle to top of the fish tank. Also, fish that have a little bit of attitude themselves can work well. These types have worked well for me.
I’ve kept red-tail sharks in my tank with hatchetfish, danios, and others with success. But, fish like red-tail sharks and others require larger tanks.
You may also want to consider rosy red minnows and rainbow darters.
However, just remember, any fish can fall prey to a crayfish.
Pro tip: The general rule for keeping freshwater fish in your tank is one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Tank Mates that Can Work with Pet Crayfish:
- Hatchetfish
- The Red Tail Shark
- Rainbow Shark
- Rosy Red Minnows
- Rainbow Darters
- Tiger Barbs
- Danios
- Neon Tetras
What About Other Crayfish?
Other crayfish can sometimes make good blue crayfish tank makes as well. However, you have to make sure they are of the same species. And, you have to make sure that your tank is large enough.
I mean, personally, I’m not going with anything smaller than 55 gallons for two crayfish. In addition to having the right-sized tank, you want to make sure that you provide plenty of hideouts for your crayfish.
In my friend’s tank, for example, he has a blue crayfish and a ghost crayfish. They do fine together because they are in a 55-gallon tank, and have multiple hideouts. They have plenty of room to roam and be in their own spaces.
Just always remember, the right tank size is always directly related to what types of aquatic life you plan on keeping.
Pro tip: Crayfish are aggressive and territorial. So keeping two in the same tank always has its risks.
Crayfish Molting
Your crayfish will molt as you probably know. Basically, when crayfish molt, they shed their exoskeleton because they are in the process of growing a new one. When they do this, they become soft and are vulnerable to other fish or crayfish in the fish tank. This is another reason why hideouts are so important. They give crayfish a place to hide while their new exoskeleton strengthens and grows.
A hideout can be an artificial log, a piece of PVC pipe, or anything else that will allow your crayfish to hide. You can also buy some pretty cool hideouts online. I have a very cool crashed airplane in my tank.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you only put crayfish of the same species together! Never mix crayfish from other parts of the world! Ever!
Recap: Crayfish Tank Mates
Crayfish are cool little aquatic pets. However, if you are going to keep them with other fish, you have to make sure that you select the right freshwater fish to avoid disaster. Some great pics can be danios, red tail shark, tiger barbs, rainbow sharks, etc.
It’s also important to remember tank size when keeping crayfish and other aquatic life. Be sure to include plenty of hideouts for your crayfish so that as they molt, they have a place to hide and stay safe from other fish in your tank.