Im very curious to pinpoint the factors that effect successful cuttlefish hatching. Ive searched the web for journals that indicate the effects of temperature and salinity, to start, only to be faced with 30+ dollar price tags. Before I pay that, I thought I should start by inquiring with some of the scholarly-types here.
My hypothesis is that a higher temperature fluctuation, on a daily basis, will lead to cuttles that hatch prematurely, and as a result, are smaller and less likely to live. The reason I think this is because I have had 35 eggs pass through my tank in the last two months and have 2 cuttlefish. The only thing I can find that has been sub-standard about my water parameters has been the temperature. It has gone as high as 86-87 degrees on, as many as, 7-10 days in the last six weeks. It, generally, cools at night to 82, to where the heater will let it drop. But my house has one AC unit that has a hard time keeping up on days like we have seen in the last several weeks.
I think that, when exposed to temperatures this high on a regular basis, the eggs break down and mature faster than the actual cuttle inside, therefor leaving the cuttle with no option other than to squirm out of the egg before it, ideally, should. I had four hatch from the last batch that had egg sacs almost as large as they were.
Anyway, I dont plan to give up trying to get this right. If the two I have produce eggs, I want conditions to be optimal. Any thoughts about eggs and how this problem I've had might be avoided would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, I'll have to spend 35 bucks on a scholarly journal, read it and post up what I learn.
My hypothesis is that a higher temperature fluctuation, on a daily basis, will lead to cuttles that hatch prematurely, and as a result, are smaller and less likely to live. The reason I think this is because I have had 35 eggs pass through my tank in the last two months and have 2 cuttlefish. The only thing I can find that has been sub-standard about my water parameters has been the temperature. It has gone as high as 86-87 degrees on, as many as, 7-10 days in the last six weeks. It, generally, cools at night to 82, to where the heater will let it drop. But my house has one AC unit that has a hard time keeping up on days like we have seen in the last several weeks.
I think that, when exposed to temperatures this high on a regular basis, the eggs break down and mature faster than the actual cuttle inside, therefor leaving the cuttle with no option other than to squirm out of the egg before it, ideally, should. I had four hatch from the last batch that had egg sacs almost as large as they were.
Anyway, I dont plan to give up trying to get this right. If the two I have produce eggs, I want conditions to be optimal. Any thoughts about eggs and how this problem I've had might be avoided would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, I'll have to spend 35 bucks on a scholarly journal, read it and post up what I learn.
