Will Crayfish Eat My Fish?

The question shouldn’t be, “Will crayfish eat my fish?” The question should be, “What won’t my crayfish eat?”

So Will Crayfish Eat the Fish in Your Aquarium?

Crayfish are aggressive omnivores. They are opportunistic little guys.

If they see a chance to snag something and eat it, they will. That means, yes, crayfish will eat the fish in your tank if given the opportunity. It doesn’t matter how cute, nice, or well-mannered the fish might be—a crayfish will eat it.

Having said this, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep fish in your tank with your crayfish. Some fish will be better tank mates than others, though.

These fish include hatchet fish, red tail shark, and any aggressive fish or fish that swims near the top of the tank.

However, there is always the possibility that even these fish could be snatched up and eaten by your pet crayfish. I’ve personally seen it happen.

For two years, I’ve had a blue crayfish that has been tank mates with my red tail shark. The shark likes to keep to himself for the most part.

Also, the red tail shark is a size now where the crayfish would have to wound him repeatedly before he could become a victim of the crayfish. And oftentimes, that’s just what crayfish do.

How Crayfish Go About Eating Your Other Fish

Crayfish don’t get the kill in one strike always, but they can wound a fish repeatedly until the fish is stressed and weakened. At this point, the crayfish can then go in for the final blow. Then, your fish is crayfish food.

[This Should Help Keep Your Tank Clean]

So yes, crayfish can and will eat your fish if given the opportunity.

However, you decrease the odds of this happening by having a big enough fish tank, and if you choose fish that swim fast, at the top of the tank, and/or are aggressive. So no slow swimmers.

Recap

Yes, crayfish will eat your other fish if given the opportunity. That’s just how these guys are made. However, if you keep the right types of other fish in your fish tank, you might not have a problem. You should at least have a 20-gallon fish tank if you are planning on keeping a pet crayfish and a few other fish. You don’t want a smaller fish tank.