1st Time Raising Sepia Bandensis

[SabrinaR]

I would check your water and make sure everything is ok. Check nitrates, if they are up I would do a water change.

 

[Cephdoc]

Everything is fine, i was just worried because they went from eating about 4-5 a day to only 2. But i think i figured it out. The 500 mysids i got, came with a dry food the supplier told me to feed them twice a day. They love it, and it plumps them up before i feed the cuttlefish. So i think it might be they are just more full due to the mysids not being malnourished from paul and really unhealthy. These are healthy and full of nutrients for the babies. They are still doing great. I have 8 still and they are getting bigger. The other eggs i sold to a LFS due to not being able to keep anymore in a 75.

 

[Thales]

They will go through eating a lot and eating a little. When I see them stop taking food sometimes I fast them for a day.

FWIW, I have the same feelings about captive raised vs wild mysis - the survival rate is so much higher with the captive raised.

 

[Cephdoc]

Thanks Thales, I was worrying about them for alittle bit. Turns out everything is in check. I am very happy with these captive bred mysids vs. Pauls wild caught. I ordered 500 and not a one has died from what i can tell. I recieved them last Wednesday, and im anticipating keeping them for over a week just because of how well they are doing.
The babies are growing fast, I am anxious to get them released into the reef, and onto bigger less expensive food.

 

[Cephdoc]

Here are some poor quality pics i wanted to update everyone with. The babies are doing very well, the pics dont justify their size but they are about 1/2 inch long and eating like little pigs. Some eat one and right when they are done they catch another and munch away on another. Im not having any luck with frozen food That is very upsetting to me, because the pocket book it raw! LOL But they are doing well and here are a couple pics Enjoy

 

[Cephdoc]

Couple pics of new clams, these pics dont really do that much justice and i apologize in advance. I dont have a great camera, so these are just with my Iphone

 

[Lmecher]

You are really doing a wonderful job, congratulations on your success. Now that you have such amazing subjects, you really should get a good camera. I say this for selfish reasons. They are so cute, I want to see them

 

[Cephdoc]

So i tried feeding frozen mysids today, and they took to it.. the only thing is they spit it right back out Is this normal at 1st?

 

[cuttlegirl]

Try, try again. It is normal, but if they are hungry enough, they will eat the mysids. Make sure the frozen mysids have eyes, the cuttles are more willing to accept them if they have eyes. Someone (I can't remember - either Thales or Paradox) used to draw eyes on the mysids, but I don't know what they used to mark the eyes.

 

[Cephdoc]

LOL that seems like alot of work! Most of the ones i froze still have the eyes, i will keep trying. Should i let them go awhile without food and try again? I have about 15 more live mysids out of the 500 i ordered that were tank raised. They lasted over a week not only healthy to stay alive but it took 2 weeks to feed all 500! that makes me happy. Im going to make a order of something new and alittle bigger and different because they are about 1/2 inch long and a month old so i want to start them on bigger things. Any suggestions? Amphipods will go fast wont they? And i cant buy them in big bulk like mysids. Will they live a long time?

 

[corpusse]

try and get them to eat PE, one of those is equal to like 5 or more of the live ones. I had modest success getting mine to eat it. It was very time consuming moving them around enough.

Glad to see things are going pretty well for you.

 

[Cephdoc]

Thanks corpusse, but i am unfamiliar with PE? What exactly is that.

 

[Cephdoc]

I have 8 in that small clear nursery, i am thinking about separating them 4 and 4 intod two different holding nets. Do they fair well after movement? How do you suggest i move them? If im in their nursery very long messing around they ink like crazy!

 

[DWhatley]

PE Mysis are an excellent product from Piscine Energetics Inc.

 

[Thales]

Sounds like it time to move to shore shrimp or FW ghost shrimp.