So HERE is where we got the bandensis eggs from! Has anyone from the NRCC told you how they were doing?

They're just the cutest little squishies... had one hatch fairly quickly, another two hatched just yesterday. There's some more that look like they're coming along.

Very good of you to send them to us! :wink:

Cuttlegirl,

I definitely want some. I have recycled a tank just for them (mini-cycle) and have ordered a small skimmer to add to the tank. The LR didn't suffer much and my ammonia and nitrates are back to zero. I have not put any sand in the bottom yet (I plan on using dead aquarium sand - I have it on hand - and not live sand) as we want to add a small watercooler chiller (no more noisy fans on this tank!) and will have to drain the tank to drill it but the LR has been in-tank for a couple of years. By the time the eggs hatch, the tank will be well settled and I have several tanks that I can use with a hand on nursery.

Please let me know the next step. I can easily send a check or Paypal. I am currently unemployed so I can arrange to be home for delivery any time.

So HERE is where we got the bandensis eggs from! Has anyone from the NRCC told you how they were doing?

They're just the cutest little squishies... had one hatch fairly quickly, another two hatched just yesterday. There's some more that look like they're coming along.

Very good of you to send them to us! :wink:

Thanks for the update on the babies - I didn't know how they were doing... glad to know they are thriving! :grin:

Thats prolly enough. Pming you now!

I don't seem to be getting any pms... hope nothing is wrong - I am sending you some tomorrow. Anyone else who is interested - hang in there for the next batch... this batch is going to the West Coast Cuttlefish Breeding Program...

Weird! Thanks!
I did send the pm...but thanks!

Hmm... always make sure your mailbox is not full! And don't forget to download your old PMs before clearing out your mailbox... there are functions available on the PM page for downloading...

Thanks for the advice Tony, I did download some of my pm's (I only have 144 now). But I am not getting any pm's.

It is possible that I sent you an email instead. Oops if I did!

RR

I think Baby A is getting kick-backs from FedEx... I sent the last of the eggs off and come home to find - more eggs - 4 more, grand total 211. Oh, and I think I may have discovered the secret to my cuttles longetivity - my thermometer was not working for the past 5 months and I just checked the temperature - they have been living in 73 F water instead of 78 F. Oops :oops: , I guess in this case, what I didn't know, didn't hurt them...

Cuttlegirl,

I would like to lay claim to the latest 4 if you haven't already had takers.

Would you also post your salt content (I am assuming 1.026 but want to verify), lighting (timing in particular - 12 on 12 off?), water volume (I think you mentioned 55 gal originally but do you also have a sump/fuge), a rough (substrate and rock) idea of your tank setup and the same for their original hatching. Also, what kind of clean up crew you have found compatible.

I was delighted to know that they have been living at 73 as we have been debating on the little chiller (more of a water cooler) for the tank and 73 is a good number ;>).

Please let me know if these 4 are ready for another FedEx trip.

Oh, and I think I may have discovered the secret to my cuttles longetivity - my thermometer was not working for the past 5 months and I just checked the temperature - they have been living in 73 F water instead of 78 F. Oops :oops: , I guess in this case, what I didn't know, didn't hurt them...

This makes me feel much better!

Oh, and I think I may have discovered the secret to my cuttles longetivity - my thermometer was not working for the past 5 months and I just checked the temperature - they have been living in 73 F water instead of 78 F. Oops :oops: , I guess in this case, what I didn't know, didn't hurt them...

Bill is the exact same age isn't he? He is still doing well and eating like a pig. His water temp is a constant 78 degrees.

Cuttlegirl -what do you feed them? I have used freshwater glass shrimp exclusively and he loves it and it's easy. Did you get yours from Aquatropics too?

Bill is the exact same age isn't he? He is still doing well and eating like a pig. His water temp is a constant 78 degrees.

Cuttlegirl -what do you feed them? I have used freshwater glass shrimp exclusively and he loves it and it's easy. Did you get yours from Aquatropics too?

My cuttles came from Thales - a bunch of wild caught eggs he had in May 2006. I feed mine saltwater shore shrimp from aquaculturestore.com. I tried fiddler crabs one time just for fun - but they seem happy eating the shrimp...

Guess who laid more eggs??? Will do a count soon - they aren't looking as good as the other bunches - someone from the NRCC told me that fertility declines with age. I have about 5 that look good and inflated and the others are odd shapes - she must be getting tired!

I talked with Chrystal at the NRCC today - she says they have 7 baby cuttles from your eggs, which they're taking very good care of.

They hope this will be their bandensis breeding stock for the future.

Nancy

Ok, pulled the eggs off the rocks today - 4 more, so she is up to 215 eggs.

Guess who is laying more eggs? Although she is not even attaching this set to the rocks, she is tired... I would be too - I caught her cuddling with Cuddly this morning, so I knew there were more eggs on the way - I don't think these eggs will make it, but who knows?

Just went and picked them off of the bottom - 5 more, up to 220 eggs.

:banghead: It never fails... I get a shipment of eggs off and I find more eggs. I can see three, so 223 total.

That is awesome! Congratulations! for the 223rd time.........

Two more eggs today - 225... these look viable, the last three looked a little strange and she didn't attach them to a rock, so they are floating around in the tank somewhere (didn't feel like pulling all the live rock to find them, so if they are viable, maybe they will just hatch in the tank).

She's just a little egg factory. You must be very happy :) .
How many cuttles do you have now?
I remember a while back that Thales (he was Righty then?) had started a breeding program with the Jim, the owner of Octopets, then the hurricane.
It was sad when Octopets closed down. I got my first cuttle from them and their customer service was excellent.
Do you know of anyone else that is trying to breed cuttle for general sale? Sounds like you are doing pretty good.

I remember a while back that Thales (he was Righty then?) had started a breeding program with the Jim, the owner of Octopets, then the hurricane.


That was me, but Octopets didn't close because of a hurricane. I don't really know what happened, but they owe me a bunch of money and no one would ever return my calls.

Sorry about that. didn't mean to open old wounds. The last time I had inquired about his stock he made it sound like that was why he closed down.
I know you have Daisy Hill Cuttle Farm, but is it like it sounds? Are you commerically selling cuttles and eggs yet? I love the INK logo BTW. I got the clock a while back......

I caught Baby A and Scrunchy cuddling this morning, so I knew more were on the way. I can see at least 5, I think, I will do a count later today. She is up to 230 total... I guess it's my late valentine from Baby A...:tentacle: I haven't removed the last two, and Scrunchy spends all day guarding the cave with the eggs. Sure hope they are his :bonk: .

let me know if your still getting eggs in a month or so cause ill be looking for some about then

One more egg yesterday - 231 total. :cuttlego: Hey, I got to use a new smiley!!!!

Cuttlegirl,

Actually, I had meant that to satisfy the angel request for cuttles and called it cuttle life cycle. I guess I failed my mission but am glad you liked it well enough to use it.

We finally took the grandchildren to our new aquarium today and the oldest (8) decided that the cuttlefish were one of her favorites. She knows that we are hoping to have babies in a couple of weeks and was delighted to get a look at them in something other than a book (now I have to find a kids book on cuttlefish :roll: ). Neal (spouse) decided they were going to be a lot of fun to keep as well once he saw them live. These were larger than ours will be but not full grown so they gave a nice idea of what to expect.

If more than one survives AND none of the octos do (we don't know if Trapper's eggs are viable and we are suspect that she may be joubini and not mercatoris) we will give them the octo tank and not get another octopus until they complete their life cycle (at which time we hope to afford yet another chiller). If we should be able to actually close the cycle with the cuttlefish, I see a chiller AND a new tank in the future because I still want to keep a bimac on an on going basis but not give up the cuttles :bugout:

I see lots of dollars in your future...going bye-bye. (Now there's a smiley image every ceph keeper could use!) It would be very cool to have a cuttle tank and an octopus tank at the same time.

Sorseress,
I sort of have that now. That is I have cuttle eggs that may or may not be viable and an end of life female octo that may be of the small egg variety and may or may not be incubating viable eggs. It will be either feast of famine around here in a couple of weeks. It is probably a good thing my male seahorse did not go to term and the other missed the egg catch. With my luck, all will hatch, the horses will get pregnant and I will finally find a job all at the same time :cyclops: .

I submitted a money pit smiley at your suggestion but requested that Tony wait until next go round to publish it since I have kept him busy with my new toy offerings :hmm:

Good luck on all of the above issues..and that means whatever you want it to mean!

Sorseress,
Worst case, everything fails. The old adage, "the more you have to do, the more you get done" tends to be a trueism for me so I look forward to the challenge. Best case is probably somewhere in the middle so I can ENJOY the outcome and a JOB would help support the hobby!!!

:banghead: Because I sent eggs via FedEx yesterday - guess what I found today... At least three more eggs, they look better than some of the other ones she has been laying. Anyone interested???? Grand total - 234.

i might be interested in the next batch. im still waiting on my new tank to get back from getting drilled. once it does ive got to just switch my reef tank to the new tank, pull 30 gallons out the old reef tank for the new tank water, then add the 15 extra new salt to it, then pull 35 gallons off the octopus tank and put it in the old reef tank for the cuttles and add 30 gallons new salt to it, then add 35 gallons to the octopus tank as a water change. after all that ill be ready for the cuttles, precycled tank rocks everything even a fresh water change for them.

so pm me when they lay the next batch

She laid two more eggs this morning... Sigh... remember when we thought 100 eggs was a HUGE amount for a little cuttlefish??? 236 total.

can cuttles and octos be kept together? if so i might be interested

The babies are sooo tiny, about the size of a pea, that I'm almost positive that they would become food for the octopus.

Baby A has been laying eggs for 5 months now (since Sept. 25th). All three cuttles still look good and are eating well.

Baby A has been laying eggs for 5 months now (since Sept. 25th). All three cuttles still look good and are eating well.

Hi,
Just an FYI about the eggs I got. Two of the eggs definitely weren't viable, a little sad. So far I can see two are developing quite nicely and look like they should be hatching soon. Some of the ink has move off of the egg case and you can see the baby cuttle inside. I'm so excited! I'll let you know how it goes.
Ed

Photo's???????????? PLEEEEEEEASE!

J

Hi,
Just an FYI about the eggs I got. Two of the eggs definitely weren't viable, a little sad. So far I can see two are developing quite nicely and look like they should be hatching soon. Some of the ink has move off of the egg case and you can see the baby cuttle inside. I'm so excited! I'll let you know how it goes.
Ed

:sad:
I'm sad to report that the eggs did not make it. They developed a small hole then a clear sac extended out from the egg. The embryo didn't look fully developed yet and I saw no movement from them. When I came home from work the clear extension had collapsed and the eggs decreased in size. I didn't see any cuttle in the breeder. Over the next few days the eggs clouded over. But I haven't given up and will try again.:smile:

:cry: sorry to hear that the little ones didn't hatch...

:sad: Dont feel bad i had one hatch out of five.When i first got them i cut down the water flow across the eggs cuse i was scared that them bouncing around would cause damage.I noticed the eggs started to look bad so i kicked up the flow again by then it was to late except for one.He is still kickin and over 3 inchs now.Maybe Thales can comment on how strong the waterflow should be.That is just my experince with cuttle eggs.

Dutch

No idea about the water flow. I have had eggs both hatch and not hatch will strong and weak flow.
Even with the imported eggs there is at least half that are no good. Sad.

Jennifer,

I am afraid mine did not even come close. I had three today that had split to reveal the yolk sack but no signs of an embryo. These were the only "round" ones. I have one that has lightened but is egg shaped and one that is tiny but still round and opaque. I was pretty sure mine were not going to hatch when elaflam reported being able to see into his eggs but was hoping that the dark environment and water temperature might have made mine a little slower to develop. I will leave the remaining eggs in the net until they split naturally but I cannot see into any of them and only the one is even a little lighter than when I first got them.

:cry:

life be a cruel mistress.:(