My cuttlefish adventure.

[Kerrick]

Sorry for lack of updates... been busy.

So. I moved 4 of the largest cuttles to a clear plastic breeder. I will post a video shortly of Spartacus checking it out. Unfortunately they didnt seem to like it so I moved them to a blue net breeder this morning. They have more room in there and it seems to focus them back in as opposed to looking out and trying to swim free.

I had a minor crisis when I ran out of mysis about 3 days ago. I ordered some but they didnt come for three days so I had to try and catch mysis out of my tank which is a massive headache. It ended up with 4 of the five smallest cuttles going a day without any food while the other largest cuttle in the net breeder ate two shore shrimp.

Anyways, they appear to be doing fine and I recieved my 200 mysis yesterday.

I will try and get more videos of hunting shore shrimp... Allthough its not much hunting to it...

 

[Kerrick]

 

[Kerrick]

So... All three large cuttles are eating 1-2 shore shrimp a day. The next three largest are eating small shore shrimp and mysis. The smallest three are still only on Mysis. I had no luck getting them onto frozen food. Will be trying again this week.

I am busy cuttle proofing my tank right this second and plan on releasing atleast some of the cuttles soon. I will be going out of town for a couple of days at a time during the summer and will therefore only be able to leave some food in the tank for them.

I don't want to do it because I have a pistol shrimp and some peppermint shrimp in the tank. But the pistol shrimp mostly hides and the peppermint shrimp are really tame.

We will see anyways.

Pics:

Spartacus eating a medium sized shore shrimp

The two smallest cuttles.

More video will be coming soon.

 

[kates]

OMG the video is so cool, I have never seen anything like that! I never knew they would "walk" along the bottom like using their tentacles as legs, I had seen a video that showed an octopus doing something similar but the cuttle really seems to "walk". I just checked in I haven't been here in a while - great thread I'm really enjoying it!!

 

[Kerrick]

Thanks Kates! If you like those check out these! Also, Search our Markookam's thread... He has fatastic videos... I hope mine become as cool as his.

Spartacus just released from net breeder.

Sorry for focus and dirty tank!

 

[Kerrick]

Spartacus's friend(still not named) riding a turbo snail down from the net breeder.

 

[Kerrick]

So I let the three largest cuttles loose in the tank last night. They seem to be doing well and have been exploring some. I transfered the three smallest to the other breeder so they can get more intensive mysis feedings and the other three can have shore shrimp only feedings. I cuttle proofed the overflow with gutter guard... Will take a pic later.

 

[DWhatley]

I have not see cuttles hitching a ride before, loved the video.

 

[Reef Geek]

I was hoping he'd jump off at the end of the video down to the macro algae. Of course my brain still runs on cartoons so I had a dialog going the whole time. "Are we there yet?. Can't this thing go any faster? Just a little closer. Closer. Cloooser . . ."

Great video!

 

[Mike Bauer]

Very cool!

 

[Leichenmangel]

Oh my, that video is too cute...! How big is your tank?

 

[Kerrick]

Thanks Guys! The tank is a 46 gallon bow front. This may unfortunately mean that I won't be able to keep them all. But I'll worry about that when I get there. So... I went outta town for 3 days and I got back today to find that a turbo snail had crawled into the small cuttle net breeder allowing one of them to escape. I was freaked out and searched for him for an hour. No luck, so I cut the lights and came back ten minutes later and he was happily eating mysis in the bottom of the tank!

I have since released all of the larger cuttles and now only have two small ones in the net breeder so I can focus on feeding them mysis.

 

[Kerrick]

Updates:

So everyone is eating Shore shrimp and Ghost shrimp. I added some wildcaught saltwater surf fish. I have not seen anyone take one yet but the tank is low on shore shrimp so maybe they'll get hungry. Im considering cutting out the saltwater shore shrimp.... They are expensive and I have had several batchs arive DOA. On a sadder note. I had a turbo snail crawl into the small cuttle net a couple of weeks ago and release the smallest cuttle into the tank. I have not seen him and I only count 8 cuttles. I assume that the pistol shrimp got him... Or maybe canabalism. Anyway still have 8 cuttles so hopefully that will be my only loss.


Videos:

 

[Kerrick]

So the cuttles are doing great. All 9(missing cuttle was a false alarm) are eating ghost shrimp, shore shrimp, fiddler crabs, and unfortunately my two peppermint shrimp. I recently have gotten them to eat frozen shrimp as well.

They are getting big right now and I am afraid I will have to get rid of a couple before they start fighting over mates but we shall see.

Anyways here is a video... more will be coming soon.

 

[DWhatley]

It is funny seeing how large (relative to the mouth area) a piece of pray they will take but then I have to remind myself that Diego (bimac) had no problem with a mantle sized crawfish this week which was proportionately even larger