Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

Crawfish Picking at Silicone

Started by Guest_dsaavedra_* , Feb 01 2009 11:44 AM

Please log in to reply

10 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_dsaavedra_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2009 - 11:44 AM

anybody ever see their crawfish picking at the silicone in the corners of your tank?

i've caught mine doing this twice. i assumed he was picking at it because it was soft and he may have thought it was some kind of food. both times i removed the crawfish from the silicone and gave him a shrimp to eat.

Back to top

#2 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 01 February 2009 - 12:57 PM

anybody ever see their crawfish picking at the silicone in the corners of your tank?

i've caught mine doing this twice. i assumed he was picking at it because it was soft and he may have thought it was some kind of food. both times i removed the crawfish from the silicone and gave him a shrimp to eat.

This is called operant conditioning... he has successfully trained you to provide his food of choice at the time of his chosing... he performs an action that nets hism a benefit... congratulations you are now the pet of an invertabrate...

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

Back to top

#3 Guest_CATfishTONY_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2009 - 03:41 PM

This is called operant conditioning... he has successfully trained you to provide his food of choice at the time of his chosing... he performs an action that nets hism a benefit... congratulations you are now the pet of an invertabrate...

LOL

Back to top

#4 Guest_dsaavedra_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2009 - 04:29 PM

This is called operant conditioning... he has successfully trained you to provide his food of choice at the time of his chosing... he performs an action that nets hism a benefit... congratulations you are now the pet of an invertabrate...

FUNNY!!!

Back to top

#5 Guest_smilingfrog_*

Guests

Posted 02 February 2009 - 05:48 AM

anybody ever see their crawfish picking at the silicone in the corners of your tank?

i've caught mine doing this twice. i assumed he was picking at it because it was soft and he may have thought it was some kind of food. both times i removed the crawfish from the silicone and gave him a shrimp to eat.

I have kept them in the past and haven't ever noticed them picking at the silicone, but have noticed that they try to climb up the sides. They would often spend a lot of time in the corner trying to climb, I think they felt they had a better chance of success since they could touch 2 walls at the same time. Are you sure it is picking at it and not just trying to climb? Another thing I noticed was that they fed on the algae that grew on the glass. I kept one in a tank that was rather neglected (as far as scraping algae off the glass goes) and it looked like I had been scraping the algae off the bottom couple inches or so of the aquarium (the height the crayfish could reach). If you are sure that it is picking at the silicone it could be that algae is growing or bits of food may be collecting there.
Or you may just have an odd crayfish :smile2:

Back to top

#6 Guest_joshuapope2001_*

Guests

Posted 02 February 2009 - 05:23 PM

This is called operant conditioning... he has successfully trained you to provide his food of choice at the time of his chosing... he performs an action that nets hism a benefit... congratulations you are now the pet of an invertabrate...

LOL

That is hilarious!!!

Back to top

#7 Guest_dsaavedra_*

Guests

Posted 03 February 2009 - 07:21 PM

I have kept them in the past and haven't ever noticed them picking at the silicone, but have noticed that they try to climb up the sides. They would often spend a lot of time in the corner trying to climb, I think they felt they had a better chance of success since they could touch 2 walls at the same time. Are you sure it is picking at it and not just trying to climb? Another thing I noticed was that they fed on the algae that grew on the glass. I kept one in a tank that was rather neglected (as far as scraping algae off the glass goes) and it looked like I had been scraping the algae off the bottom couple inches or so of the aquarium (the height the crayfish could reach). If you are sure that it is picking at the silicone it could be that algae is growing or bits of food may be collecting there.
Or you may just have an odd crayfish

pretty darn sure it's picking at the silicone, because its facing down (not up like its trying to climb), and its definitley picking at something with his claws. he is digging down into the gravel with them, and it looks to me like he is picking at the silicone because it is soft and he thinks it might be food? or maybe there really is food wedged way down in the corner and he is just trying to dig for it.

Back to top

#8 Guest_smilingfrog_*

Guests

Posted 04 February 2009 - 01:35 AM

pretty darn sure it's picking at the silicone, because its facing down (not up like its trying to climb), and its definitley picking at something with his claws. he is digging down into the gravel with them, and it looks to me like he is picking at the silicone because it is soft and he thinks it might be food? or maybe there really is food wedged way down in the corner and he is just trying to dig for it.

I think they find food by smell/taste more than touch so I doubt he thinks the silicone is food, it could be that he's trying to burrow under the corner and is trying to pull the soft silicone out of the way.

Back to top

#9 Guest_dsaavedra_*

Guests

Posted 04 February 2009 - 06:46 PM

hmm that could be it too.

i just thought that they went by touch because i always see him randomly probing around with his two little pinchers and when he stumbles across something soft he grabs it and tastes it.

Back to top

#10 Guest_Ouassous_*

Guests

Posted 04 February 2009 - 07:19 PM

My red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) have chewed pieces out of sponge filters (presumably to get at accrued debris) and the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii has been known to nibble on plastic plants, so it doesn't sound too far out of line with other decapods' behavior.

Edited by Ouassous, 04 February 2009 - 07:22 PM.