# Self-cloning marbled crayfish and planted tanks



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Have any of you kept marbled crayfish in a planted tank?
Yesterday, I set up a 22 gallon super long (from Canadian Aquatics) in a secondary school classroom. I planted it heavily with Aquaflora plants and plants from my own tanks. It looks great.

I have added 5 marbled crayfish (fairly small still, maybe an inch or an inch and a half each) and some juvenile endlers.

Since then, I've read that crayfish eat plants. Do you think that the crayfish will eat all the plants in the tank, or can the plants grow faster than the rate that they are devoured?

Is there anything that I can feed crayfish that will encourage them to not nibble on the tasty greens?


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I've only ever owned a dwarf crayfish, but from my understanding, they're omnivorous so they will eat the plants. I've read the plants that they don't like to eat, they will climb on which could damage them, or they'll simply tear them to shreds.

Sorry I don't have any good news this time around 

Cheers,
Chris


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## Jasonator (Jul 12, 2011)

I kept 5 of them in a 10gal and they did tend to graze on, and redecorate the plants. Nature of the beasties....


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## ninez (Apr 21, 2010)

They ate my plastic plants.


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## Tarobot (Jun 27, 2010)

marbled crays will always eat plants and fast. planted tank is impossible, they even go for floating plants.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thanks, Ninez. That cracked me up!



ninez said:


> They ate my plastic plants.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, everyone. Hmm. If you don't plant the tanks you keep for marbled crayfish, what do you put in the tanks to make them nice to look at and comfortable for the crayfish.

I have to admit that, as a vegetarian, if someone put me into a planted tank I'd eat the plants too!


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## Tarobot (Jun 27, 2010)

they like tubes and hiding spaces. a lot of people who breed them to feed puffers just have a lot of PVC pipes stacked up all over the place.


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