To Thales, and any other Cuttle Experts,
I'm new to these threads but have been lurking quite a while and have been building a real interest in cuttlefish. As I plan on keeping them soon I wanted to ask the expert a few questions... I appoligize if this is long, I will try to keep them in numbered points.
1. Reading many of the journals I find that there is a very high failure rate in the hobby, but that your most recent attempt at the aquarium seems to have been a fantastic success. What would you attribute this difference to?
2. How important is water quality for S. Bandensis? In reading these journals I think that this may be a cause of some of the high failure rates. It seems salinity, and nitrates need to be right on target(one journal for example had nitrates at 5ppm and all cuttles died). What are the readings at your aquarium?
3. Do you think that the sheer volume of water you work with at the aquarium gives you an advantage. I've read in several of the journals of people not wanting to do water changes in fear of startling the cuttles.
4. Food. I'm assuming you feed almost exclusively live mysis to hatchlings. Several journals artilces suggest amphipods may be an alternative and I am looking into culturing them. I live in North Carolina however and have a local source for colderwater trigger pods. I don't know the exact species but do you think that these are big enough to help supplement live mysis when cuttles are hatchlings? Any other food suggestions?
5. I've seen your older postings from Daisy Hill cuttle farm and was wondering what you attribute the lesser success rate in that attempt as compared to what you've done at the aquarium? (not to say you failed. obviously the scale was different)
6. My setup: I have a 46 gallon Bowfront with a 10 gallon sump. Protein skimmer/regudium. I have no fish as I want to keep cuttlefish but did get a cleanup crew consisting of 2 turbo snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, and 10 red and blue dwarf hermits. I know that the peppermint will likely be eatin, but can they be harmful to cuttles older than say 2-3 months(when you release them into the main tank). Additionally I had a pistol shrimp hitchhike in on some live rock. I am having a very difficult time catching him. Will he be a problem or just food eventually?
7. I can apparently order cuttle eggs through my LFS. For my sized tank I was thinking that I want 3 cuttles but would order five eggs just in case. They also have the option of ordering juveniles(3 or 4 months old). I know cuttles don't ship well but would it be easier to start with older specimens?
Finally, thanks for any help you can give me and if you think of any other tips or tricks please include!
Thanks again,
I'm new to these threads but have been lurking quite a while and have been building a real interest in cuttlefish. As I plan on keeping them soon I wanted to ask the expert a few questions... I appoligize if this is long, I will try to keep them in numbered points.
1. Reading many of the journals I find that there is a very high failure rate in the hobby, but that your most recent attempt at the aquarium seems to have been a fantastic success. What would you attribute this difference to?
2. How important is water quality for S. Bandensis? In reading these journals I think that this may be a cause of some of the high failure rates. It seems salinity, and nitrates need to be right on target(one journal for example had nitrates at 5ppm and all cuttles died). What are the readings at your aquarium?
3. Do you think that the sheer volume of water you work with at the aquarium gives you an advantage. I've read in several of the journals of people not wanting to do water changes in fear of startling the cuttles.
4. Food. I'm assuming you feed almost exclusively live mysis to hatchlings. Several journals artilces suggest amphipods may be an alternative and I am looking into culturing them. I live in North Carolina however and have a local source for colderwater trigger pods. I don't know the exact species but do you think that these are big enough to help supplement live mysis when cuttles are hatchlings? Any other food suggestions?
5. I've seen your older postings from Daisy Hill cuttle farm and was wondering what you attribute the lesser success rate in that attempt as compared to what you've done at the aquarium? (not to say you failed. obviously the scale was different)
6. My setup: I have a 46 gallon Bowfront with a 10 gallon sump. Protein skimmer/regudium. I have no fish as I want to keep cuttlefish but did get a cleanup crew consisting of 2 turbo snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, and 10 red and blue dwarf hermits. I know that the peppermint will likely be eatin, but can they be harmful to cuttles older than say 2-3 months(when you release them into the main tank). Additionally I had a pistol shrimp hitchhike in on some live rock. I am having a very difficult time catching him. Will he be a problem or just food eventually?
7. I can apparently order cuttle eggs through my LFS. For my sized tank I was thinking that I want 3 cuttles but would order five eggs just in case. They also have the option of ordering juveniles(3 or 4 months old). I know cuttles don't ship well but would it be easier to start with older specimens?
Finally, thanks for any help you can give me and if you think of any other tips or tricks please include!
Thanks again,