Bluegill and Crayfish together

Based on phots I've seen around here I have 5 Bluegills and 1 Green Sunfish (I think).

The four biggest (3 Bluegills and the Sunny) are in one tank. I've kept three Crays in there for a while. About 6 months ago they killed a small Cray even though I provided a good hideout.

I read about how Bluegills like to eat Crays but the ones I have do just fine. They are good sized Crays.

Could it be because I feed my Bluegills so well that they don't worry about the Crays? These fish love to eat crickets but if the crickets swim away too fast the (lazy) Bluegills just wait for me to toss another one in. They are really well fed.

I ask this because two of the Crays have been mating and I may need to move them to another tank.

The large crayfish are probably ok for now but if they do have any young they will surely be food for the sunfish. Sometimes even large crayfish can become food when they shed their shell. Right after they do they are very soft and even a smaller bluegill can tear the crayfish into small pieces that it can eat.

my experience with a green sunfish will attempt to eat anythign move, mine succesfully killed 2 crays in less than 24hrs, never could eat them but it killed them. I also tried keeping large shiners in the tank, the shibers where 4in and the green sunfish maybe 6in, he would get them half way down his throat, figure they wouldnt fit and spit them out, they would die minutes later. So that all adds up to be very careful what you keep with green sunfish because they like to eat anything moving.

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep a close eye on things.

Sometimes you can keep some crayfishes with some sunfishes. Crayfishes that associate with rocks when burrowing are most likley candidates to work. Provide enough rock in bottom of tank (3 to 4") to enable crayfish to burrow and then plug up its opening when preparing to molt. Usually the crayfish will be smart enough to stay sequestered until it hardens up.

What kind of crayfish are used in California these days?

I can't offer you a specific type, just what I find at the inlet screens (Southern California).

The ones I find pretty much look like this. Reddish color with spots on it.

As for myself and my experience, it really doesnt work....I have had sunfish and bluegill and really couldnt keep anything else in the tank at the time (55 gal)...I tried to put electic blue lobster in, roughly 5" with full claws...everytime they ended up being empty shells with in a week...I never witnessed the actual feeding so I am not sure if they were molting and vulnerable or if they just got pecked to death...it always happened overnight or while i was gone...

I've watched a few in the last couple days with somewhat smaller fish, Enneacanthus gloriosus and Fundulus Heteroclitus at about 3", attacking crayfish a little larger than their heads. They start at the tail, ripping off the movable plates at the end and then sucking the meat out, eating the eyeballs off, and finally just worrying the remainder until they're able to split the tail from the head and suck the meat out of the head too. In one case a big mummichog was able to tear off and swallow the whole tail intact, and sucked it down with the head meat too, leaving a hollow shell of the head on the gravel. Somebody ate that too while I wasn't looking within just a few minutes.

I think I'll add a few more hiding places for the Crays.

I noticed one of the Crays kept pulling fake plants in front of the over turned clay pot it lives in.

I think I'll add a few more hiding places for the Crays.

I noticed one of the Crays kept pulling fake plants in front of the over turned clay pot it lives in.

the males (crawfish) get real mean after they shed and harden up.my females all hide and come out only to eat
one been in hiding for three weeks now with black eggs under her tail some have tuned orange.every male i had was
a fin nipper and caused damage to my fish.

the males (crawfish) get real mean after they shed and harden up.my females all hide and come out only to eat
one been in hiding for three weeks now with black eggs under her tail some have tuned orange.every male i had was
a fin nipper and caused damage to my fish.

Interetsing that you say that. I didn't know how to tell the sex of them but there is one that hides in a pot and never comes out. I make it a point to throw some food, whatever I'm feeding them, into the that hiding place.

I'm not really worried about the Bluegills getting their fins nipped. I see them checking out the Crays without any sign of fear.

Not to get off topic, but I was curious what you feed your crays? I have had them a couple times now...The ones I had with the sunnies/bluegills didnt last but other times they did ok...When I went to the baitshop for feeder minnows or the pet shop for feeders, I had them scoop me 1 or 2 dead ones into the bag...then when I dumped the bag of a dozen or so live feeders in, the dead ones would drop to the bottom and the crays would almost run to go get them...I was actually pretty shocked how fast they are at chasing down and devouring a carcus...I always stayed to watch, in case for any reason, they didnt get the dead minnows...then I would remove it so my water didnt get messed up...But ya know I never had that issue...they always came out to scoop it up ha ha...and they really didnt ever leave anything behind...So, I am thinking that when the fish were up top feeding and chasing the live ones, they werent to concerned about the crays being out and about...and after awhile, it was almost as though the crays knew when it was time for feeding, just as the fish learned too...Might be all in my mind, but its weird having everthing in the tank turn and look at you as you are walking up LOL...Like a dog staring at you in the kitchen...anyway...just thought I would share that and if you do feed live like that, then maybe you could try that method to get the crays out and eating

Not to get off topic, but I was curious what you feed your crays? I have had them a couple times now...The ones I had with the sunnies/bluegills didnt last but other times they did ok...When I went to the baitshop for feeder minnows or the pet shop for feeders, I had them scoop me 1 or 2 dead ones into the bag...then when I dumped the bag of a dozen or so live feeders in, the dead ones would drop to the bottom and the crays would almost run to go get them...I was actually pretty shocked how fast they are at chasing down and devouring a carcus...I always stayed to watch, in case for any reason, they didnt get the dead minnows...then I would remove it so my water didnt get messed up...But ya know I never had that issue...they always came out to scoop it up ha ha...and they really didnt ever leave anything behind...So, I am thinking that when the fish were up top feeding and chasing the live ones, they werent to concerned about the crays being out and about...and after awhile, it was almost as though the crays knew when it was time for feeding, just as the fish learned too...Might be all in my mind, but its weird having everthing in the tank turn and look at you as you are walking up LOL...Like a dog staring at you in the kitchen...anyway...just thought I would share that and if you do feed live like that, then maybe you could try that method to get the crays out and eating

i dont think i would feed them dead fish from lps just put down a few fresh ones and pop the air bag they will sink for your crawfish to eat.dead fish are dead for some reason, i would think fresh dead is safer.my crawfish were much nicer on wafers then minnows for some reason.some one here helped me with this a few months ago.

Edited by CATfishTONY, 20 March 2009 - 03:20 PM.