Native freshwater tanks?

Anyone have experience native freshwater tanks?

Yup! I've kept several. Here's a thread of my most recent... www.temperatereef.forumotion.com/freshwater-brackishwater-f9/10-gall-tank-t28.htm

I used to have a lot. and I still have one. I used to be amember of NANFA

I just Bookmarked NANFA.

I don't know what there is for me to catch in my local rivers that's suited to the aquarium lifestyle. Baby game fish are out completely, and they compose a large part of the tiny-sized fish population. crayfish, sculpins, peamouth chub, northern pike minnow. The latter two are much too big once grown.

Perhaps I'm better with a terrarium of some kind and including terrestrial plants and amphibians? We have frogs, toads and salamanders. Likely more, but my region is big and some are hard to find.

A garter snake would be a nice one too. A terrarium with an AC unit?

A paludarium would be nice for you. Fish, snakes, frogs, salamanders, crayfish.

I was thinking exactly that. I think that the crayfish would soon cripple all of the other inhabitants.

But I'm thinking much like a biom of a native stream bank. No heater or AC needed. A 30 gal seems like a good start. I need native plants that will work well.

Just get really small crayfish, I'd say maybe one inch. They aren't really a threat at all. Of course it depends on the species. Some are more aggressive than others.

Crawdads WILL fight if they get near each other. We used to go crawdadding in a creek we catfished in (with nohing less than 5 pounders packed in like goldfish at petsmart I might add) and we would take the sand on the bank and build a ring about a foot around and 2 foot tall and put them on. The one that beat all the others got let free and the rest were dinner but...

The interesting thing is I've never noticed aggression in the tank I had previously. Of course the smaller ones would scatter when the larger one came around. But I think it's a matter of keeping them well fed.

Yea its the size issue. Once they max out (Although I dont know anything about keeping them in an aquarium) youll have major problems any time territory markers get disturbed.

I feel also that they may not perceive smaller crayfish as a threat.

How long did you have yours?

Two weeks I believe. No casualties. Except for the occasional fish loss.

Yea thats probably why you didnt see too much. I never seen them within 5 feet of each other (knowingly of course) in the wild without a fight.

Then we can agree that the best situation is to have one crawdad per tank?

Depending upon size. I would say 30-40 Gallons per adult or more.

It really depends on the species. I believe mine were the more docile kind. They would sort of feed together. Of course they were young, 1-3 inches at most. I think that when they are this size it is safe to have 1 per 5 gallons? Of course I had 5 in a 10 gallon. When they are full size I definitely think that they aren't as "social" per say.

Pufferfreak wrote:It really depends on the species. I believe mine were the more docile kind. They would sort of feed together. Of course they were young, 1-3 inches at most. I think that when they are this size it is safe to have 1 per 5 gallons? Of course I had 5 in a 10 gallon. When they are full size I definitely think that they aren't as "social" per say.

Well, all I know is that given any opportunity an octo will escape from confinement. I also know that they will wipe out the population in any thank. That said, I'll trust your judgment here. At least, with YOUR fish! lol

I never talked about octopus and crayfish together.

lol! clearly. I often have a number of pages open at a time and clear I replied to the octo thread here. :blush:

sorry!

As for craw fish. It is a nasty life and I think they will face off when ever they meet.

Haha okay.

I have an 'Orinoco Basin' FW biotope. Livestock includes Cory cats, a Blue Ram Cichlid, Golden Tetra, and Rummy-nose Tetra.

Oh that sounds sick! Post pictures:).