Invertebrate compatibility

[DarkLotus]

After having fish, I've decided I want to go with having an invertebrate only tank in my 10 gallon. I'd like to get a blue crayfish, a red clawed crab, and a Red Ramshorn snail. Will I have problems with these together, or will it work?

 

[Roan Art]

The procambarus genus crayfish needs 20 gallons minium, the others more as they grow far bigger.

IMO, I would not put a cray in with a crab. He won't bother the snail, but the crab might be seen as competition.

Roan

 

[ghinksmon]

I've only kept local crayfish on occassion and understand that the blues are less agressive. However I would expect the crayfish to get the crab, if not right away then while it's molting.

Have you read up on crabs? I know they are excellent clibers and often climb the heater cord right out of the tank. I believe also that they are more brackish than true freshwater, (but this I'm not sure of).

In my native tank something ate the snails. Don't know if it was the crayfish but suspect that it was.

 

[patoloco]

I housed two crayfish togheter and one seem to have killed the other. My LFS guru told me not to mix them. Probably a crab will be seen as enemy.

 

[Teelie]

IMO, crays are best as single species, singly kept only unless you have a large, heavily planted, wooded and rocky aquarium to give them plenty of hiding places and territory. Most other animals, crabs and snails included, are on the menu.

 

[Cuvier]

I've only kept local crayfish on occassion and understand that the blues are less agressive. However I would expect the crayfish to get the crab, if not right away then while it's molting.

Have you read up on crabs? I know they are excellent clibers and often climb the heater cord right out of the tank. I believe also that they are more brackish than true freshwater, (but this I'm not sure of).

In my native tank something ate the snails. Don't know if it was the crayfish but suspect that it was.

The bolded statement is true for red-claws and fiddlers.

 

[Lobo.]

most crabs (red claws and fiddlers) also need something that they can climb up on, like a platform with sometype of access (ramp?) or a rock that goes to the surface. a species-only tank with brackish water and fiddlers that had a simulaged beach (sand sloped up to one side and held in place with somehting) would be really cool b/c they would make burrows.
the eisiest way to go would be some kind of shrimp- which can be very cool
id go for the crab if you can find a freshwater-only crab, but do lots of research first so that it may live for a long time!