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Getting a Cuttlefish [Beginner]

Owais

Cuttlefish
Registered
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
19
Hello guys, I go to the beach very often and snorkel there. There are quite a lot of cuttlefish in the beach and I was thinking about keeping one as a pet. There are small and big sizes, I want to catch a very small one, so I was wondering how big of a tank do I need for 1-3 small cuttlefish and all the other equipment needed to keep a cuttlefish. I have read the articles on this site but I need help on what to put in the tank. If someone could list all the equipment I would need for keep 1-3 cuttlefish & how to maintain one ( how often do I have to change the water, water temp etc.. ) I would be very thankful.

Thanks, Owais
 
:welcome: to TONMO!

You can start with the octopus equipment list in the articles, since their needs are very similar in terms of filtration. Looking at what setups people use for Sepia bandensis might give you a good overview, but it really depends on the species. Where are you located, and do you know what species these cuttles would be? And are you intending to release them when they get too big, or do you want a tank that could sustain them at full adult size? Adult Sepia officinalis get to be 18 inches long or so, and I think Pharonis are similar in adult size, and some species are even larger...
 
monty;124157 said:
And are you intending to release them when they get too big, or do you want a tank that could sustain them at full adult size?

Hey man, thanks for the reply :smile:. Well im not sure what species they are, but the biggest one i've seen at the beach was probably around 5-6 inches. Well I would like to keep them at full adult size but how big of a tank would I need then? and another question, is it a problem if I keep two 3 inch cuttlefish in one tank? will they fight etc? and will bigger ones eat the smaller ones?
oh and btw im located in the UAE, dubai. Its in the Middle East

Thanks alot :smile:, Owais
 
As far as I know cuttlefish of the same species will live fine together. Males will sometimes get aggressive towards each other, but it is usually not fatal. Try to figure out what species are if possible that way you can tell what size tank you will need.

I'm no expert I'm just trying to give you some of the info I know from reading about sepia bandesis. I'm sure someone with more knowledge about cuttles will chime in :smile:
 
Hey man, thanks for helping, but I have no idea how I am going to find out the species :bugout: :S because they are at my beach as I said and I dont know how I am supposed to find out :
 
Hey, thanks for replying. This is not a pic of a one I took, but I got it off wikipedia and it looks EXACTLY like the ones at the beach.

here is a pic:

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Those look like either pharonis or officinalis to me, but I know there are a number of other species that are similar. Either one would grow way too big for a 30gal tank, they'd need something more in the 125-200gal at full size.
 
Owais;124313 said:
Hey guys, thanks for replying. I think im going to get a 75g-80g tank and release the cuttlefish when they get too big.

The larger cuttlefish need more room to swim and move than the smaller species. At least with Sepia officinalis, they are prone to swimming backwards into the walls of the tank, so they need space to move around.
 
Hmm, btw at what age to they start mating and how do they mate? I mean like if you put a male & a female in the same tank will they automatically start mating ?

Thanks, Owais
 

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