Freshwater Prawn

Z

zms325i

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Sep 22, 2004
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My LFS has a really cool looking blue prawn, not lobster, with tiny pincers, for sale, and the guy that works there says that it will be fine in my african cichlid tank. I have no bottom feeders now, so that isn't a concern, but I do have a few cichilids that are less then 3 inches long, while the prawn is 4 inches, due to grow to about 5 if i understand correctly. The biggest fish is 5 inches, and the tank is a 55 gallon. Is this guy going to fit in, or is he going to be trouble? Thanks alot
Zach
 
Unless I'm badly mistaken, none of the freshwater 'lobsters' found in aquariums are actually lobsters. They're all prawn/crayfish/whatever. I wouldn't try it myself. I think he'd probably give your fish a hard time.
 
crayfish-blue-prawn.jpg


Does it look like this?
 
I'm going to guess that this is a crayfish, a tiger shrimp that isn't getting an appropriate diet, or a real prawn-Macrobrachium rosenbergii , also not getting an appropriate diet. From what I've read, the blue coloration is the result of a deficiency in their diet, and results in shorted life spans. Either way, they can and will rip fins and catch fish--and many cichlids will consider a cray a tasty snack. Probably going to be trouble, either way. The true prawns will get up to 11 inches for a male--pretty big to have in a 55, and likely to knock things over, even if they leave the fish alone (which I doubt).
 
He is more of a gray than green, and his pincers are not like the ones pictured, they are really skinny, more like split sticks than claws. I don't think he is a crayfish, due to the coloration and the pincer shape. THey are about a millimeter thick by six mm long. His body is 5 inches long. He swims arouind alot more than a crayfish. Thanks alot
 
prawn10.jpg


Like this guy? That's the true prawns, and they will still go after fish. The claws are for reaching into little crevices and cracks to pull out fish and smaller crustaceans.
 
Yeah, like that one, but the "arms" are more proportional to body size, but the antennea are super long. I think my fish are big enoough to be safe, would it help if I threw in some rosies to keep him busy, as well as the fish? Or is it a bad idea all around.
 
That's an adult male, so a juvenile won't be quite that shape yet.

No, you won't be able to prevent it from grabbing at fins--it will go after all the fish in the tank, not just little ones. These types of predators are different than gulpers, like cats--the size of a fish can be a deterrent to a fish that swallows prety whole, but not to something that just kills it and tears off bits of flesh.

Cool critter, but not one I would put in with fish.
 
sounds like a no go then. Thanks alot for the help... mabye when I move the last out of my 10 g then I can get one.
 
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