Can Crayfish Live Together in the Same Tank?

If you are asking yourself, "can crayfish live together?" Well, the answer is going to be a big fat, "it depends."

There are so many factors that come into play with pet crayfish. Trust me, I've owned several crayfish over the past few years. I've owned two electric blue crayfish and one albino crayfish that probably could have killed a small dog.

First off, how big of a tank are you planning on using to keep your crayfish in? If you plan on using a ten gallon fish tank for more than one crayfish, personally I'd say that's not a good decision. One of my crayfish fought to the death with another one of my crayfish while living in a ten gallon tank. Yes, they got along perfectly for a while, but eventually it came to claws, and these guys went at it, hard.

I remember walking in from work one day to see that my blue crayfish had been eaten by my albino crayfish. There were tiny blue pieces of my crayfish throughout the tank. It was not pretty, but that's nature sometimes.

Personally, if you plan on having more than one crayfish, I'd recommend at least a twenty gallon fish tank with lots of hiding spaces, or hideouts. Crayfish like being able to hide out. And being able to hide out is especially important when they are molting. Because when they molt, they become weak and are more susceptible to attacks by both crayfish and other fish.

I'd also recommended keeping your crayfish fed. Now, I do not mean in any way to over-feed your crayfish. Crayfish already dirty the tank up enough as it is and over-feeding them will only make it worse. So do not overfeed these little guys.

Just remember, crayfish are scavengers and they are extremely aggressive. They are omnivores. They love to eat anything they can get their claws on. Because of their nature, there's pretty much no guarantee that they will not catch and eat another crayfish in your tank. Having said that, try to find fish that are aggressive, swim near the top of the tank and/or swim fast if you are looking for tank mates for your crayfish. These types of fish will have the best opportunity at surviving.

Explore The History of Tortoises

We see giant tortoises at the zoo and we know that many people keep tortoises as pets, even the larger breeds. When we hear about the history or tortoises, we seem to understand that these are extremely ancient animals that have been around long before the humans that keep them captive and will probably be here long after we are gone. This detail alone makes the tortoise such a fascinating animal to study and observe. Today, we know that they feel at home both on land and in water, for the most part. We know what they look like: stubby legs, slow-moving, hard shell, etc. But what have tortoises really been through in their millions of years in existence? That's what we're here to find out.

Let's start at the beginning. During the times of evolution, tortoises were among the species that partially made their way out of the water and went back and forth between land and sea throughout their evolution. Exclusively marine tortoises went extinct about 200 million years ago but the traces of turtles as we know it remain. During the Triassic Period, we see the body of the tortoise take its familiar form. From here on out, the body remains largely unchanged.

Although the evolution of the turtle can be an easy one to follow, unlike the snake's for example, there are still missing links and the expected gigantism of most prehistoric animals during the mesozoic and cenozoic eras. Can you imagine a giant tortoise roaming around, eating equally giant plants? Paleontologists can't seem to pinpoint the exact prehistoric family that modern turtles evolved from, but they can say with confidence that it was not the placodonts, as was previously considered.

Historically, tortoises have had an influence in certain religions. In Hinduism, Vishnu is half-man, half-tortoise and sat at the bottom of the ocean floor after a great mythical flood. In Ancient Greece, the tortoise is a symbol for the Greek God, Hermes. In Ancient China, turtle shells were used to make their predictions.

Today, you can find tortoises living in different parts of the world, growing to different sizes and showing different colors and patterns. The Galapagos Islands are home to giant tortoises and are said to have arrived there about 3 million years ago. One of the most impressive things about these turtles is their ability to survive without food or water for up to a year. Unfortunately, this couldn't save the majority of the population from near extinction. Whalers and buccaneers stored them as food on long voyages, and they were used for their oil to light lamps. Today, only about 25,000 wild tortoises live on the islands. Luckily, there are conservation efforts to preserve these herbivores from human intervention and other factors that have added to their decline.

In the U.S. people are generally fond of tortoises. Many see them as a the perfect pet since they're relatively low maintenance. They hibernate in the winter until around April, eat a regular and simple diet, and don't really need any training or walking. Caring for a tortoise is usually emphasized by having the right environment and diet. It's been observed that they enjoy human contact, although they're not very social animals. If they're kept with other tortoises, they can get aggressive but not with any major injuries. They like to burrow and will try to dig under any walls or fences so be sure to secure any enclosure.

Find a Tortoise for Sale

You can find a tortoise for sale just about anywhere these days. There are popular tortoises, like the Russian Tortoise and the Red Footed Tortoise, available in exotic pet stores and can also be found online. Before purchasing a tortoise, be sure to research the breed and its specific needs regarding lighting, temperature, and habitat. Knowing the evolution and history of tortoises, doesn't mean you know everything about modern tortoises. Educate yourself about how to care for a tortoise properly so you can make sure you're ready to handle the responsibility that comes with owning such an ancient animal.

Cockatiels Are Not For Everyone - Here's Why

1. Birds need physical stimulation, too.

Some people buy birds because, in their eyes, they are easier to care for than for a cat or a dog. The dog needs to go outside and get plenty of exercise, the cat needs her space and birds just sit in a cage, right?

Wrong! Birds normally fly, that's how they live in the wild. And the cockatiel, even though he is a small bird, will need plenty of exercise. That means he need a spacious cage and some out-of-the-cage time every day. That means you will have to have some patience while he's circling around in the room and please, please leave the windows and the doors closed while he's busy doing that. The bird has to be supervised for the whole time while he's enjoying his exercise, because he might fall behind furniture and injure himself.

2. Your 'tiel has emotional needs too.

Cockatiels are social birds, they live amongst a flock and tend to not do so well alone. If you plan to acquire one bird, be aware of the fact that cockatiels have the emotional intelligence of a 2-year old human- that means he's needy!

You will need to spend at least two hours everyday with your pet. That doesn't mean you will have to hang with him for two hours, but at least be in close proximity to him for that amount of time, he will try to interact with you and communicate you his needs. You can listen to music, or read to him aloud or just talk to him. The bird will like to perch on you and watch you doing your chores or just chill.

If you are a busy person, that gets home late from work, eats on the run while watching the latest on Netflix and then heads to bed, then you'll have a really depressed cockatiel, with behaviour problems and eventually health problems.

3. They tend to live for a long time.

If taken care of properly, cockatiels can reach up to 14 years. That's a long time. Take into consideration that the cockatiel will really bond with you and will have problems adapting to a new environment and to a new human. If you can't commit to take care for a bird for at least 7-10 years, than just don't buy it. Buy a cute, small mouse.

4. They do have behavior problems.

Cockatiels like to sing and vocalize, will attempt to communicate with the birds outside and like any other bird, will be especially noisy in the mornings and in the evenings. But I had my Chico for 4 years already and my neighbours didn't suspect I had a bird in my house.

But if they are not stimulated enough or do not have a routine, you might find yourself with a screaming bird. The bored cockatiel, that doesn't get the attention he needs will attempt to get it by being really loud. And if you do not react properly, this behaviour will intensify and will be really hard to unlearn.

So, if you like your peace and quiet, get a cat. If you do not have the patience nor the time necessary to stimulate your bird, get a fish. It's better for everyone.

5. They need a specialized vet.

Taking care of the cockatiels is an easy job, but you will have to closely watch his appetite, his water intake and to make sure he has a variety of foods in his diet. Cockatiels are birds of prey so they will try to hide the fact they are ill until they can't do so anymore. You will need to become an expert at your bird's behaviour, closely watching his patterns and also his droppings, as they can tell a lot of your birds' health.

If he gets ill, you will need to find a doctor that has some experience with treating exotic pets, while most of the vets are specialised in treating dogs and cats.

6. They are fragile birds.

When it comes to the environment, cockatiels are really sensitive. They enjoy a routine - lights on/out at specific hours, they enjoy a consistency and they don't really like change. Actually, they are frightened by it. So they need someone that can maintain an order and a consistency for long periods of time.

Also, they are fragile birds, they sometimes have night frights and will need your immediate attention otherwise they might injure themselves.

They are not well suited for small children. They are beautiful, sometimes majestic and very friendly- perfect target for children- but they are to be handled with care, so they are better suited with older children. So keep that in mind when buying one.

If you can manage all of the above you should know that cockatiels are great companions, they are kind and quirky and sometimes empathetic, really nice to watch and can entertain you and your guests with beautiful songs and vocalizations. If taken care of properly, your bird will become your best friend.