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| FAQs on Freshwater (and Terrestrial)
Crustaceans, Compatibility, Control
Related Articles: Freshwater Crustaceans, Invertebrates
for Freshwater Aquariums by Neale Monks,
Forget
Crawfish Pie, Let's Make a Crawfish Tank! By Gage Harford
Related FAQs: FW Crustaceans 1, FW
Crustaceans 2, FW Crustaceans 3,
FW Crustaceans 4,
&
& FAQs on: FW Crustacean
Identification,
FW Crustacean Behavior,
FW Crustacean Selection,
FW Crustacean Systems,
FW Crustacean Feeding,
FW Crustacean Disease,
FW Crustacean Reproduction &
Crustacean Selection,
Crustacean Behavior,
Crustacean Compatibility,
Crustacean Systems,
Crustacean Feeding,
Crustacean Disease,
Crustacean Reproduction,
Freshwater Shrimp,
FW Crabs,
Terrestrial
Hermit Crabs, & Marine
Hermit ID,
Hermit Behavior, Hermit
Compatibility, Hermit Selection,
Hermit Systems, Hermit Feeding,
Hermit Reproduction, Hermit
Disease/Health, &
Crayfish FAQs,
Crayfish 2,
Crayfish ID,
Crayfish Behavior,
Crayfish Compatibility,
Crayfish Selection,
Crayfish Systems,
Crayfish Feeding,
Crayfish Disease,
Crayfish Reproduction,
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Some small shrimps leave fishes alone... larger crustaceans... Don't!
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Need some direction (FW, possible unwanted cladoceran) 2/25/09
Neale?
<Yes...?>
I'm perplexed and need some direction and encouragement.
I have a 20 gallon FW tank stocked w/ a dwarf Pleco and 10 glass fish. All but
one of the glass fish was just added a couple weeks ago. Current water
parameters are: 78 degrees, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and ~ 20 nitrate (I know. more
frequent water changes) and above 7.8 ph due to municipal water supply.
<Sounds good.>
All was good until I noticed during a water change last week
that small white specks would enter my gravel vacuum during vacuuming. They
purposely returned to the gravel. I initially thought they were just non-living
specks from who knows where, but then looked more closely and they appeared to
be swimming freely in the water - darting here and there, really. If they were
located on the fins of my stock, I'd definitely treat for ich.
But they
aren't. Interestingly enough, I noticed this only one day after adding frozen
brine shrimp to vary the glass fish diet. All the fish appeared fine, so I
dismissed it (.mistake).
<Harmless. Have them in some of my tanks.>
NOW
they are taking over the tank - there have to be thousands of them. Again, they
are free floating. NOT on the inside of the glass. From your site, I'm assuming
they are cladoceran (aka water fleas). If so, Bob Jenner says they will run
their course in time. But the glass fish are absolutely miserable with them, as
they cannot relax and just hang out.
They dart all over, nipping at one
another constantly. Another interesting development is that my Pleco is out of
his cave during the day more in the last week than I ever remember him - very
odd. And when looking closely at the fish tonight, it appears that the white
specks are now attaching themselves to the glass fish, mostly at the tips of the
top/lower fins. So I started treating w/ ICH tonight w/ a two-day course just in
case.
<If they are crustaceans, then any copper-based medication should kill
them. On the other hand, blooms of them aren't common in aquaria, and suggestive
of a deeper problem. To multiply, they need food. This may be algae if you have
a lot of light (including sunlight) but not enough live plants. It might also be
faeces and uneaten food. If the tank doesn't have adequate mechanical filtration
(essentially, current + rinsable media) then organic wastes will accumulate in
the gravel, and that in turn will feed these "pests". Get rid of the food
source, and their populations will quickly drop.>
Does my explanation of them
coincide w/ cladoceran or anything else you know? If so, how can I nip them in
the bud? The LFS wasn't familiar with anything I was describing, nor had a
microscope to look at my water sample, but thought maybe adding some stock that
will eat on them could help control things. They suggested molly or tiger barbs.
I'd hate to add anything at this point until I figure out what the heck is going
on.
Thoughts on their recommendation?
<If this was really tiresome, and
given the tank is fairly small, I'd perhaps recommend a "reboot". In other
words, put the fish and some water in a bucket. Stick or connect the filter to
the bucket, so that it is running. Remove everything else from the tank. Deep
clean the gravel with lots of hot water, or else throw out and add new gravel.
Put the tank together again. Acclimate fish to new water conditions just as you
would if you'd bought them, but don't directly add any old water to the tank.
Reconnect the heater, filter, etc. Sit back, knowing a job well done. All
else being equal, you'll be starting from a normal baseline except that the
filter is 100% mature. Any "pests" that get in there will have to go through you
now, so review any plants or live foods, and take care to keep on top of
hygiene. Clean the gravel, remove uneaten food, etc.>
HELP!!! I want to glass
fish to relax. they are getting really stressed out.
THANKS as always. Gosh -
how could I do this without you all at WetWeb?!
Kristi
<Well, I hope this
helps, and thanks for the kind words. Cheers, Neale.>
Let's get ready to rumble!
Non-indigenous crusties duking it out in the U.K. 10/15/08
Here's a link to a story about the Chinese mitten crab and the North American
crayfish in the UK.
<Okay!>
The gist of the item is that these two animals have been extending their ranges
across the British Isles having been introduced in the last century. The crab
has been working its way upstream from the Thames Estuary, while the crayfish
has escaped from crayfish farms inland. It now appears they're set to meet one
another, and in the absence of any other predators or competitors on these
islands, they may well turn on one another as they compete for space. Both are
territorial omnivores and both use burrows in muddy banks for shelter.
My money is on the crab; having worked with other crab species over the years, I
have learned never to underestimate their aggressiveness and versatility. While
the video is in the usual BBC style of appealing to the lowest common
denominator, it is rather fun to see these two animals up close.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7575744.stm
Cheers, Neale
<A well-made short doc... I'll go with the Cray here... soon to be seen on the
WWCW federation (C for crustacean)! BobF>
Compatibility of FW crustaceans with fishes 12/30/2005
Hello I have a couple of questions First I have a 40 gallon freshwater fish
tank setup and it has been running for about a month. I have in the
tank a red tail shark, 8 tiger barbs, 1 clown Pleco, 3 golden barbs and
3 blue coral Gourami dwarf . I don't want to add any more fish but I was
thinking I wanted to add a couple Singapore Flower Shrimp and may be a
Hammer Cobalt Blue Lobster. So my questions are A) will the shrimp be
safe with the fish that I have?
<Likely so, yes... as long as it has some hiding spaces... dense plants,
rock caves... to get out of the way during molts>
B) If I was to get the lobster would my fish be safe with the lobster?
<Not if the lobster is hungry... if kept well-fed, perhaps. Bob Fenner>
Crustacean for a Community Tank - 05/21/2006
Hello folks,
<Hello, Doug.>
I've been reading your articles with interest but I still am unsure about what I
should do with regard to finding a suitable crustacean for my community tank.
<Someday we'll have a shrimp article up.... just (finally) wrote the thing.>
This is a freshwater tank, 20 Gallons, 2+ years old, nice and stable. Right now
I have 5 Rasbora tetras, 6 cardinal tetra's and one fairly large Chinese golden
algae eater (5" long). We added the Cardinals a month or so back and they are
doing fine. We wanted to get some kind of crustacean to complete our community
but are not sure what would be best after reading about predation of tank mates.
What do you think might work in this situation?
<LOTS and LOTS of options.... Any shrimp from genera Atya, Atyopsis, Caridina,
or Neocaridina....>
I had thought of a Hammers cobalt blue lobster but after reading more about it
realized that it would probably be the sole tank occupant in short order.
<It would. Stay away from any crayfish/"lobsters". If you want something big
and beefy, for a 20g tank, maybe look for Atyopsis moluccensis, the "bamboo" or
"wood" shrimp. A 20g tank is suitable for a male and a few females. Or if you
want something bright and tiny, look for "cherry" shrimp (Neocaridina
denticulata sinensis v. red), "Rudolph"/"red-fronted" shrimp (Caridina
gracilirostrus), or maybe "crystal red" shrimp, (Caridina sp.). There are
plenty of other small shrimp species that are less colorful, and most any would
be of use here. I do hope you are able to find a fun and pleasing pet to add!>
Thanks for your advice. -Doug
<Glad to be of service! Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Question regarding Triops in a planted tank 1/29/07
Hi Crew,
<Emma>
Just recently I discovered the absolutely bizarre but strangely adorable Triops
<http://www.triops.com/what.htm>
and I would love to keep them in one of my planted tanks. All the information I
have found on them seems to be rather scant or contradictory - some sources say
they will eat all your plants, some don't even mention it. I have also heard
that they love to dig - which could be a problem as I have a topsoil underlay.
<Mmm, will dig a little... do eat soft parts of many types of plants>
Also many gallons does a fully grown Triops need? I'm talking about the smaller
(2 - 4 inches, I believe) American variety.
<Please see the link above>
Is it possible to keep them with goldfish, or will they harm them?
<The larval forms will likely be consumed by the goldfish>
Thank you for all your help,
Emma
<Bob Fenner>
FW Round, Tan Bugs?
Hello
<Hi Jodi>
I have a question about an infestation in my aquarium. I have a 75 gallon
freshwater tank. I have one big Oscar in it. I noticed on the walls of the
aquarium it looked like it had white hairs on it. So I got to looking a little
closer and on the gravel there are tiny round tan in color bugs. I'm not sure
what they are and how to treat the tank. If you could help me I would really
appreciate it. Thanks for your time. Jodi Hedden
<Likely some sort of crustacean... and hopefully not a variety that will attack,
parasitize your livestock. First off, I would take some of these bugs into your
fish shop and ask them to take a look, give you an eyewitness identification as
to species/group... Next, a thorough gravel vacuuming while changing part of the
water (maybe 25%) once a day... till they are no longer visible may cause them
to disappear... And if you find these are a bother still, there are "economic
poisons" sold as fish remedies (ones containing Masoten, Dylox, Neguvon...) that
you can add that will specifically wipe-out all arthropod life (hopefully you
don't have crayfish et al. as pets). Please read here re this last:
http://wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/contrpdparasit.htm
I would NOT use other more general biocides (e.g. preparations that contain
formalin/formaldehyde...) as these are too toxic, dangerous to your other life.
Bob Fenner>
Ostracod Anomaly - 08/05/2005
Hey, thanks for a great and informative site.
<Glad you enjoy it!>
I just have a problem with Ostracods in my tank, they just appeared out of no
where and it doesn't seem like there's a solution to this problem.
<I recall when I was quite young, I had a small tank with renegade snails, and
had the same problem.>
Is there a way to get rid of these with out harming my plants and
shrimps?
<Reduce their food source - vacuum substrate heavily to get decaying materials
out, feed significantly less, remove dead plant leaves if any, and perhaps try
to find a fish that will make a meal out of 'em. I've used Gourami to control
aphid populations on floating plants; possibly dwarf or pygmy Gourami would
consider Ostracods edible....?>
Thanks, John
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Ostracod Anomaly - II - 08/07/2005
I actually don't know what is causing it, its not the food source, I only
feed my shrimps a little 2 times a week. Thanks.
<I wonder if perhaps they are feeding on plants or decaying plant material, or
possibly algae.... Again, it might be worthwhile to employ a small predatory
fish in this system and see if that controls the population. Wishing you
well, -Sabrina>
"A Craw-Fish by any other Name would Chew Plants..."
Mr. Fenner:
I am in the early stages of preparation for building my first community tank. I
am planning a 35-Gal tank with many live plants and two species of schooling
middle fish, one species of surface fish, and an additional species of
bottom-feeding/Pleco-type fish. Is this feasible?
<Sure>
My main concern is this: I feel that in the future I may be unable to defend
myself against the irresistible charms of lobsters and crayfish.
<They are delicious... prepared properly!>
Is there a place in a perfectly harmonic community tank for one of these
invertebrates?
<Mmm, no, not really. There are some fresh to brackish crustaceans that are
"better"... please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/shrimpfw.htm>
I hear that they have picky tastes in water pH and temperature, are destructive
to aquatic landscaping, and can be determined to bust out and go AWOL. Is there
a way to have fish AND yabbies?
<Again... not really... their tastes are actually "too cosmopolitan", and many
species are known to be quite "eury" condition... adaptable to widely varying
conditions... but most all what folks call "lobsters", crayfish, crawdads, ditch
"bugs"... are all too destructive, fish-eating to be "harmonious" in a community
tank... Maybe two tanks? Bob Fenner>
Please advise.
Crayfish
Starting from scratch here. We have success in sustaining crayfish. We
have had zero success in growing the tank population. What could we be doing
wrong?
<Likely the ones there already are eating each other. Especially when they molt
(shed their external skeleton, to grow) crayfish are very susceptible to
predation. Maybe adding more rockwork, some plants (plastic or real) will help
boost your population. If you're expecting them to reproduce, there are a number
of reasons why their young may not be being produced or likely being consumed as
well. Bob Fenner>
My Little Lobster (terror!)
Hello,
I hope you can help me! I recently rescued what I believe to be a lobster from a
friend who had moved it to a TINY tank after it removed the tails from all of
his fish! It is about 3 inches long (when my friend bought it he was told it
would grow to about a foot long) and resembles a crayfish at the moment but has
a bluish tinge to it. My clever friend seems to know nothing about its care and
I have spent the day searching bookshops and the web for info on how to care for
it with no success. So I basically need as much info as possible or
recommendation of a good book (which I can get in the UK).
<Mmm, sounds like a Cherax species. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwcrustaceans.htm
and use the names given for the identified animal a spin (insert) on your search
engines. Bob Fenner>
Thanks very much
Sarah
Crayfish and goldfish in ponds
Hi, Do you happen to know if a crayfish would be good in an outdoor pond? Or
would it eat my goldfish?
Zac Lohrenz
<Gage is apparently incognito... depending on the type of crayfish, size of
goldfish... it might indeed be eaten... though I have seen these two species
kept together. Bob Fenner
I don't want copepods! FW
crust. control. 3/15/08
Hi WWM,
I've searched your website for 2 weeks straight for information on eradicating
copepods, but to no avail. Any info I find is in regards to how great they are
and/ or how to cultivate them. I know that they are beneficial for fish to eat
but i have what seems like thousands of them and i don't like them. Plus none of
my fish eat them. I have a 75 gallon tank with 1 managuense,1 male and 1 female
Dempsey, 1 green terror, 1 fire-mouth, and believe it or not live plants. I know
that's too many big fish for a 75 but I will be transferring some to another
tank when they get to large or aggressive. 0-Ammonia, 0-Nitrites, 10-15 ppm
nitrates. 1 Marineland C-360 canister, and 1 Penguin 350 H.O.T. filter. I have
so many copepods that it affects the water clarity. They are floating around
everywhere. I do one 25-40% water change every week depending on the time I
have. I want to know how to get rid of them without harming my fish. I know that
some fish will eat them but my cichlids probably won't be too welcoming to any
newcomers. Thank You very much.
P.S. Your site has a plethora of knowledge, and it's great for novices like me.
<Greetings. If you have so many copepods that you can see them, you likely have
serious water quality problems as well. Truly, they will only multiply to big
enough numbers to cause problems if they have lots to eat. Since they feed
primarily on algae in the water column, your tank needs to be receiving lots of
light and/or have high levels of nitrate and phosphate. Moreover, if the
mechanical media isn't removing them physically from the water as it passes
through the filter, then you don't have enough filtration. For large cichlids
you should using filtration generating turnover of not less than 6 times the
volume of the aquarium per hour. So add up the gallons per hour filtration for
your filters and see if they exceed the magic number of 450 gallons per hour.
I'm not a big fan of "hang on the back" filters though I understand they are for
some inexplicable reason popular in the US. By gripe with them is they always
seem to be a lot of plastic and plastic media modules but not a whole lot of
actual media for their size/turnover. For messy cichlids, it's hard to beat
standard issue external canister filters. In any case "the fault is not in our
stars but in ourselves"; in other words, don't go after the copepods but try to
establish why they're doing so well. Even if you somehow killed them off, for
example with a copper-based anti-crustacean parasite medication, they'd likely
come right back again after a few months. Cheers, Neale.>
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