# Attack of the Crayfish...



## benuathanasia (Feb 21, 2010)

My father has a ten-gallon freshwater tank that he loves, but algae is a huge problem. One of the occupants of the tank is his beloved crayfish. This crayfish has eaten every algae eater we've tried to use. We've tried plecos and several species of snail. What do people recommend? He won't give up the crayfish, but the algae is getting a little much.


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## Blue Cray (Oct 19, 2007)

Scrape the tank yourself....


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Jeez how big is the darn crayfish that he's eating plecos? 
Try ottos (otoclinus catfish)... they are pretty small and fast, and shy. Oh and cheap, so you can try a couple and if they don't get eaten, then great...


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

the crayfish is both a scavenger and a predator..he is going to eat just about anything that goes in the tank..
i would suggest "algae fix" or "algae destroyer" ; but you have to be careful with them when it comes to inverts..read the labels carefully.


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2010)

try getting your dad to get hold of Mexican Rock Crawfish.....they stay under 2 inches.


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## benuathanasia (Feb 21, 2010)

hXcChic22 said:


> Jeez how big is the darn crayfish that he's eating plecos?
> Try ottos (otoclinus catfish)... they are pretty small and fast, and shy. Oh and cheap, so you can try a couple and if they don't get eaten, then great...


If he gets any bigger I'm selling him to the Chowder Pot as a lobster. J/K He's only about 2 1/2 but he's seriously aggressive (part of the reason my dad likes him, "he has personality.")


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## Trillion (Feb 28, 2010)

I wouldn't use any algae fix product with a crayfish. First off, I haven't found that any of them actually work. Second, they tend to warn against using with inverts. Also, if he is eating plecos, he will eat an oto. Otos may be fast, but he will get them at night. 
Just get a scrub pad or scraper and do what Blue says. If the algae continues to be a big problem, don't leave the light on so much.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

I second the lighting issue and the put your hand in the tank and clean it yourself lol
Yeah watch and chemical because a lot of chemicals are not invert friendly.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

yeah crayfish are predator/scavenger. Nothing is going to survive in a 10gal tank with that thing in it. 40-50gal. tank you should be able to keep other things without to many losess, but it's a matter of space. It's like sticking a cat in a big cardboard box with a mouse or bird. It's eventually going to be caught an eaten. Don't use the chems cause inverts really don't do well with that stuff. They tend to go belly up. Best to cut down on the light, make sure the tank is not near a window, and scrub the tank yourself.


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