I have my tank with Dwarf Crayfish as some of you are aware. I have a large ball of Java Moss that they climb in like a jungle gym. The problem I am having is during cleanup. When I gravel vac, I have a very small gravel vac as the large ones are too clumsy. Still, I find that after I clean up, a crayfish will die a couple days later. I am pretty sure it is due to stress during the cleanings. Does anyone have any ideas to help with cleanups and not kill off my valuable stock, which I was looking forward to sharing with the rest of you come summer time?
How Do You Clean Up?
- Thread starter theotheragentm
- Start date
what kind of substrate do you have?
I haven't kept crays before, but it sounds unusual to have them get to stressed by maintenance that they die.
I haven't kept crays before, but it sounds unusual to have them get to stressed by maintenance that they die.
I have pool filter sand. It is only my guess that the cause of death is related to my cleaning and water changes. My water tests out fine, and it's only one or two at a time that I've seen dead.
I temperature match pretty closely, treat with Prime, and I don't dump water back into the tank. I use a pump to get the water pumped from my bucket to my tank, so it shouldn't be too much current.
It could very well be that I am not the cause of the deaths, but I still would like to know if there is a way to ease cleanings without turning the tank upside down and having crayfish dart all over the place.
I temperature match pretty closely, treat with Prime, and I don't dump water back into the tank. I use a pump to get the water pumped from my bucket to my tank, so it shouldn't be too much current.
It could very well be that I am not the cause of the deaths, but I still would like to know if there is a way to ease cleanings without turning the tank upside down and having crayfish dart all over the place.
i would be suspicious that the sand is holding gas pockets, maybe when you are doign your cleanings it releases these gas pockets. do you stir the substrate?
this is just a guess, as i mentioned, i have not kept crays.
this is just a guess, as i mentioned, i have not kept crays.
It's a possibility as crays are messy eaters, but I do a water change in the process. Wouldn't that alleviate things quite a bit?
What kind of dechlorinator are you using? Some shrimp keepers have had trouble with Amquel, but not with Prime.
a water change would help, but unless the substrate is getting regularly stirred to prevent these pockets from forming. Here is a discussion link to www.plantgeek.net that explains it more (they are talking about deep gravel, but the same applies to sand). Hope this helps.
http://www.plantgeek.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1424
http://www.plantgeek.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1424
I don't believe it's gas in the substrate. I do have a few rooted plants, but I'm doing changes every week or every other week.
i have crays, do water changes every sun, and use prime. i have used wardley complete conditioner b4.
but my crays (1 in my 5g and in a 10g) dont die off? know this isnt helping- just thought another person keeping crays hasnt had that sit.
my larger cray in my 10g just goes into his cave during vac's. once when i had to fix the cave-- he freaked out. so i can imagine your scene. he was darting around sooo fast, it sacred me. all over 100mph top bottom everywhere in like 5 seconds.
but i vac, use prime, and have crays.
is it possibly the baby age die off? or only a dead cray or two at WC?
but my crays (1 in my 5g and in a 10g) dont die off? know this isnt helping- just thought another person keeping crays hasnt had that sit.
my larger cray in my 10g just goes into his cave during vac's. once when i had to fix the cave-- he freaked out. so i can imagine your scene. he was darting around sooo fast, it sacred me. all over 100mph top bottom everywhere in like 5 seconds.
but i vac, use prime, and have crays.
is it possibly the baby age die off? or only a dead cray or two at WC?