To All Aquarium Owners Out There

[Davyjones]

Hi Gang,

Just getting back into aquariums after a 10 year break. I've dealt with salt and freshwater ones in the past. My friend gave me a very nice 55-gallon tank, and I was going to make it a freshwater one, but then I had a thought: Could I go to my local grocery store and get 2 small lobsters and allow them to live the rest of their lives out in my tank? I wouldn't be buying them to cook and eat them. Just to get them out of the overcrowded tank and live a better life. :)

Am I crazy? Would this work? I also am aware that this did happen in a Simpsons episode, but I swear I wouldn't turn up the heater so high that they would cook. :) Although, I could name one Pinchy, like Homer did.

Is this feasible? Or am I thinking about this waaaaaayyyyyyyy too much? ;)

[Jeff G]

I don't think it would be possible unless you were to get a refrigeration unit for your tank. Even at room temperature the water would be to warm for the lobster to survive.

If you do try it make sure you cycle the water and you have a great filter, lobsters need pristine water. As for how many to keep, my guess is that a 55 gallon tank could only support one lobster as an inhabitant for an extended period.

[mrsgaribaldi]

DH said the same thing. The water has to be very cold. He also said they are very selective in what they eat. It wouldn't be easy and they probably wouldn't live for very long.

[vizsla]

As already mentioned, you would need to have a chiller system to keep lobsters, and you would not really be able to do to much of anything else with the tank as far as fish, corals, and live rock since they will keep knocking it over.

[thrillme]

An easier alternative might be to go for crawfish. They're fresh water and they look like mini-lobsters. You can also put fish and decor in with them. Lots of grocery stores sell LIVE crawfish at certian times of they year. Sometimes if you only want 2 or 3 they'll even give them to you otherwise you may be looking at maybe 10 cents a piece.

Just one word of warning they can be "escape" artists. I had one get out one time and crawl into the bedroom. My late husband got up to go to the bathroom and when he came back...there in the moonlight was the biggest scorpion he had ever seen in his life. :eek:

Needless to say he was freaked as the crawdad rolled back on his tail pincers snapping (no they really don't hurt but they look like they could)...a pair of tongs from the kitchen and our little crawdad was happily back in the aquarium.

[Davyjones]

Thanks for the thoughts, gang! :thumbsup: I did think about some of the things that you all brought up (especially the chiller unit), so it might just be easier and cheaper for all involved to skip the "Save the Lobsters" idea. :)

However, I have also thought about the crawdads/crayfish idea. Would they need a land area to haul out on? Or do they spend all their time submerged underwater? :confused:

[Ed]

Doesn't really answer your question as to whether you need to supply an "island", but for what it's worth....

From Wikipedia:

Crayfish as pets

A crayfish in a freshwater aquarium

Crayfish are kept as pets in freshwater aquariums. They prefer foods like shrimp pellets or various vegetables but will also eat tropical fish food, regular fish food, algae wafers, and even small fish that can be captured by their claws, such as goldfish or minnows. Their disposition towards eating almost anything will also cause them to consume most aquarium plants in a fish tank; however, crayfish are fairly shy and may attempt to hide under leaves or rocks.

When keeping a crayfish as a pet, one must provide a hiding space. At night, some fish become less energetic and settle to the bottom. The crayfish might see this as a chance for an easy meal, or a threat, and injure or kill the fish with its claws. Crayfish are effective scavengers and will consume fish carcasses. They sometimes will consume an exoskeleton after it is molted. Since crayfish are accustomed to being around ponds or rivers they will have a tendency to shift gravel around on the bottom of your tank, creating mounds or trenches to emulate a burrow.

Crayfish are great escape artists and will try to climb out of the tank, so any holes in the hood should be covered.

However, most species of dwarf crayfish, such as Cambarellus patzcuarensis will not destructively dig or eat live aquarium plants.[8] They are also relatively non-aggressive and can even be kept safely with dwarf shrimp. Because of their very small size of 1.5 inches or less, some fish, such as loaches are often a threat to the crayfish rather than the other way around.

In some nations, such as England, United States, Australia, and New Zealand, imported alien crayfish are a danger to local rivers. The three species commonly imported to Europe from the Americas are Orconectes limosus, Pacifastacus leniusculus and Procambarus clarkii. [9] Crayfish may spread into different bodies of water because specimens captured for pets in one river are often flung back into a different one. There is a potential for ecological damage when crayfish are introduced into nonnative bodies of water.

[thrillme]

We didn't have any problems with the ones we had. They lived for quite a while too and kept the tank pretty clean. I didn't have much of a problem with them attacking the fish but they would occasionally snap at them. I think the FISH picked on them more. Alas there was an occasional fish that died and they went for it...but they were pretty easy.

Our local grocer sells them from time to time really cheap (if anything). They'll poke around till they find the most vibrant one (they're usually in a big bowl sitting on ice) and then put it in a little container for me.

[Minnie Imagineer]

well I know nothing about this topic-
I think it is so sweet of you to want to save the losters lives! It is so sad that they are in there :(
But, if if do get one, you have to at least get two or they will be lonley! :)

[Jeff G]

The cray fish/crawdads are a much more feasible idea. They will eat fish if they catch them which may happen quit a bit. Crayfish are nocturnal and most fish go inactive at night so there is a chance that the fish may get caught. I would recommend fish at least the same size and the crayfish to avoid them becoming food.

[Davyjones]

well I know nothing about this topic-
I think it is so sweet of you to want to save the losters lives! It is so sad that they are in there :(
But, if if do get one, you have to at least get two or they will be lonley! :)

This is the type of things that occupy a zookeeper's mind. :) My wife does not think I'm crazy necessarily, but she definitely does not think I'm normal.

She's right. :mickey: