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Am I ready to order?

SueAndHerZoo

Wonderpus
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Feb 3, 2011
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OK, I've decided I'm going to start with cuttlefish (instead of octopus) so that I can use an existing, established tank and I won't have to escape proof it. There is no way I would have the patience to start up another tank and wait for it to become established..... I'll think about that once I have cuttlefish to amuse me while I set up an octo tank. :smile:

I'm thinking there's not much I need to do to the 46 gallon bowfront and that I can order my eggs soon, right? The 46 gallon has been up and running over 2 years, has lots of live sand and rock, a Fluval canister filter, a HOB skimmer, and a powerhead. Regarding livestock, there is some pulsing xenia, green star polyps, several kinds of mushrooms, and some tulip anemones. Fish include two false percs, two pj cardinals, and 3 fire gobies. I know the fish would be prey once I have cuttlefish that are grown but do I need to worry about relocating the fish at this point? Basically I'm going to set up a small hanging breeder for the eggs and if they hatch the cuttlefish will still live in that breeder for the first couple of months, right? I would rather not disrupt the tank at this point because I don't even know if any of my first batch of eggs will hatch or not.

If I were going to start with an octopus I would have a LOT more reading and preparation to do but since I'm starting with cuttlefish eggs, I think I'm ready to go, right?

Sue
 
You probably have but sourcing (and pricing) your first two month food supply is a must.

You may want to get a couple of breeder nets to be able to separate them as they grow or if you end up with some that are considerably larger than others. I use this one rather than the small Lees type you find in most pet stores. They take awhile to get here though. The link is not a positive or negative reference to a seller, just a positive reference to the net itself.

Obtaining some sea lettuce or other floating macro algae seems to be common practice so that they can hide.

Our cuttlefish keepers may have a few other considerations but that is all I can think of.
 
Have your food supply ready before or at the same time as the eggs are shipped. Many cuttle keepers panic when they get their eggs and then find out the little guys have already hatched. Then they have to wait until the food supply ships. Cuttlefish usually eat for the first couple of days, but it will save you some stress to already have a food supply on hand.
 
Thanks, Ladies. I will definitely order the breeder nets today. I have one (from when I was raising seahorse fry) but I'll want to use only new, sterile things for the cuttlefish hatchlings.

I started to look into food sources but then thought "I'm going to need something to keep me amused and distracted while I'm patiently (hah!) waiting for the eggs to hatch" so I stopped. But you're right - if one (or more) should hatch in transit, I would be in a panic and the hatchling could be in trouble.

It's hard to keep the "food" alive for long, though, right? I live about 45 minutes from the shore..... is there anything this time of year I would be able to net to feed the cuttlefish fry?

I do have some caulerpa growing in the 46 gallon as well as chaeto in my 92 gallon sump so we should be ok for macroalgae.

I guess it's foolish for me to think I'm going to be able to "train" the hatchlings to take Mysis feast early on, huh? Have you ever used Mysis Feast? My tanks LOVE it. It's expensive, but then again, what isn't in this hobby?

Thanks again. I'm getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about possibly ordering eggs this weekend!
Sue
 
Unless I miss my guess, Mysis Feast will not be something your cuttles will ever eat. The will need live initially and by the time they will accept anything else, the Mysis Feast will be way too small (conjecture based upon hatchling octos and journal reading on the cuttles).
 
OK, the size issue of the mysis now makes sense - thanks for pointing it out. I have got a lot of learning to do about the feeding challenge of cuttlefish (both newly hatched and hopefully adult) because I'm still in the mindset that ALL reef creatures love mysis shrimp. I guess I'm dealing with a totally different animal here, literally. :smile:

I contacted Mike at NY Aquatics last night about his availability of eggs and am hoping to hear from him in the next few hours. And then I guess from what you've both told me that I should order live mysis to arrive at the same time as the eggs?

Sue
 

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