- Joined
- May 11, 2009
- Messages
- 8
Hi guys, I've been reading here for a while, but this is my first post.
I'm really interested in cephs, especially cuttlefish, and this year I'm hoping to acquire some S. bandensis for a science research project. I may be getting some eggs soon, but my fish store didn't know if they were currently available, what species they were, or how much they would cost, so if anyone has a more reliable source I would be interested.
I currently have four 20 gallon high tanks set up, all have been set up for about 9 months, all are running around 77-80 degrees. One is set up as a sort of reef tank, with one fish, a pygmy angel, so that tank probably won't be available. The other three have just live rock and macro algae (mostly chaetomorpha, some caulerpa) and a few little mushroom corals. One tank has a bit of an aiptasia problem, and my peppermint shrimp don't seem to be interested (and I realize the shrimp will probably be eaten when the cuttles get bigger). Are aiptasia a problem for cuttles? If so, that leaves two tanks immediately available, and once I deal with the aiptasia, three. I've considered connecting them with large-diameter pvc so the cuttles could move between them, but I don't know if that will be necessary.
So, I have a few questions.
1. I read (I believe) that two full-grown S. bandensis can live in a 20-gallon. Is this correct, or do they need more space? If the three tanks were connected, would this fix the problem? And how many would be appropriate for a total of 60 gallons?
2. If the fish store does end up getting eggs, I don't want to bring something that will get way too big for my tanks. Is it possible to identify species solely by looking at the eggs?
3. What are the best foods for baby cuttles? The tanks are filled with amphipods, do you think I need to purchase supplemental live food that will be easier for the cuttles to catch, or can they catch their own food? Or will they go through all the pods in the tank pretty quickly?
4. And, can I let them roam around the tank when they're little, or should I keep them in a breeder net? It seems like if they were free to roam, they could hunt for food by themselves and I wouldn't have to worry so much about feeding them, but I also wouldn't see them as often or know if they were eating. Which do you think is better?
5. Where do people get food for they're adult cuttles? I've heard some will eat frozen, but is live food readily available if they won't? There is a bay sort of near here where there are tons of little (1-2 inches long) clear shrimp. Would these be acceptable/is it okay to feed foods from the wild? There are also lots of mysis shrimp here in the surf, would these be good to feed the babies?
6. I realize that probably some of the babies will not make it to adulthood, and not all for the eggs will hatch. Should I plan on buying more eggs than I will actually need?
phew, that was alot. I'll probably have more questions, but I this is a good start. Thanks in advance for the help!
-Jamie
I'm really interested in cephs, especially cuttlefish, and this year I'm hoping to acquire some S. bandensis for a science research project. I may be getting some eggs soon, but my fish store didn't know if they were currently available, what species they were, or how much they would cost, so if anyone has a more reliable source I would be interested.
I currently have four 20 gallon high tanks set up, all have been set up for about 9 months, all are running around 77-80 degrees. One is set up as a sort of reef tank, with one fish, a pygmy angel, so that tank probably won't be available. The other three have just live rock and macro algae (mostly chaetomorpha, some caulerpa) and a few little mushroom corals. One tank has a bit of an aiptasia problem, and my peppermint shrimp don't seem to be interested (and I realize the shrimp will probably be eaten when the cuttles get bigger). Are aiptasia a problem for cuttles? If so, that leaves two tanks immediately available, and once I deal with the aiptasia, three. I've considered connecting them with large-diameter pvc so the cuttles could move between them, but I don't know if that will be necessary.
So, I have a few questions.
1. I read (I believe) that two full-grown S. bandensis can live in a 20-gallon. Is this correct, or do they need more space? If the three tanks were connected, would this fix the problem? And how many would be appropriate for a total of 60 gallons?
2. If the fish store does end up getting eggs, I don't want to bring something that will get way too big for my tanks. Is it possible to identify species solely by looking at the eggs?
3. What are the best foods for baby cuttles? The tanks are filled with amphipods, do you think I need to purchase supplemental live food that will be easier for the cuttles to catch, or can they catch their own food? Or will they go through all the pods in the tank pretty quickly?
4. And, can I let them roam around the tank when they're little, or should I keep them in a breeder net? It seems like if they were free to roam, they could hunt for food by themselves and I wouldn't have to worry so much about feeding them, but I also wouldn't see them as often or know if they were eating. Which do you think is better?
5. Where do people get food for they're adult cuttles? I've heard some will eat frozen, but is live food readily available if they won't? There is a bay sort of near here where there are tons of little (1-2 inches long) clear shrimp. Would these be acceptable/is it okay to feed foods from the wild? There are also lots of mysis shrimp here in the surf, would these be good to feed the babies?
6. I realize that probably some of the babies will not make it to adulthood, and not all for the eggs will hatch. Should I plan on buying more eggs than I will actually need?
phew, that was alot. I'll probably have more questions, but I this is a good start. Thanks in advance for the help!
-Jamie